The Date Doctor
by couldahadav8
Summary: His name is Troy Bolton, but every calls him the date doctor. He helps men catch the eye of the women that don't know they exist. He's never failed until now maybe . Why? He has to set up his first love, Gabriella Montez, with another man!
1. Trailer

_**Troy narrating/ bold italics**_

**Narrator/ bold**

_Scenes/ italics _

**When it comes to women, most men just don't have a clue.**

_- shows a guy getting slapped by his angry girlfriend_

_-"What'd I do? All I asked was if you wanted a regular or diet soda!"_

_**"That's where I come in"**_

_-new character enters and speaks to confused guy_

_-"Actually man, by asking if she wanted a diet, you implied that you thought she needed to lose weight. Go buy her a regular coke, a rose, a box of chocolate and tell her that she's the greatest thing you never knew you needed. Here's my card, call me if have anymore problems." (walks away leaving confused guy staring at the card)_

_**"My name is Troy Bolton but everyone calls me..."**_

_-...the date doctor. Have you ever heard of him?" (a girl asks her friend)_

_-"Totally a myth," she replies._

_**"And I help people see what's right in front of them"**_

_- "I can't believe she said yes! The most beautiful girl is marrying me!" dorky guy says._

_- "I told you, I never fail," Troy says._

**But his next match may change that**

_-"So what's this girl like?"_

_-"She's beautiful, smart, nice... I have a picture!" ( eagerly pulls out picture from wallet)_

_-Troy looks at pic_

_-"Her name is Gabriella Montez."_

_- "Oh, I know," he mutters_

_-"What?"_

_-"Excuse me I have to go... I have a." ( runs from office)_

_-Shows Troy talking to friend at bar_

_-"I don't know what the problem is man."_

_-"Chad, I can't set him up with the girl I was pining for in high school!"_

_-"Why not? It was seven years ago."_

**In fact, it might change everything**

_-"So your the infamous date doctor, Bolting Bolton?" Gabriella laughs._

_-"I just bolted because no one would give me a chance," he replies. "Especially not the only girl I really wanted to be with," he said staring at her._

**Zac Efron**

-shows him angrily throwing a basketball at the fence

**Corbin Bleu**

-"You just have to decide which is more important. Cuz you can't have them both."

**Lucas Grabeel**

-"How could you do this to me?"

**Vanessa Hudgens**

-"I feel sick. Who do you go to if you feel like you heart in ripping in half?"

**and Monique Coleman**

-"Ben and Jerry."

_**"Date Doctor"**_

_Coming Soon_

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**A/N- So... wutcha think?**


	2. Got Game?

**A/N- Alright. So sorry I'm updating a little later than I said I would. I forgot that this was a holiday weekend. Hope everyone had an awesome fourth of july. And hope you like the first chapter. I think it turned out pretty well. Let me know!**

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**Got Game?**

Some men are born with it, something in their genes that makes women attracted to them. The other ninety percent have to fake that they have it, and if they can't fake it, there's no hope for them. And if there was ever there was a guy who was born without a hope, it was Ryan Evans.

Being the only son of the successful Lava Springs Country Club owner, he was destined for a life of fame and fortune. But he broke his father's heart when he turned down his proposal to join him in the family business and instead, choose to take up a career in the world of musical theatre.

His career quickly escalated in the business and he became a promising actor right out of college. Every troupe and agency was trying to hire him, until he had an accident. During an audition, he fell and shattered his knee. It's been two years since the accident and although he his able to walk normally, his years as a performer and dancer are over.

But Ryan's passion for theatre lives on and he is presently forming his own troupe. Which as you can imagine costs a lot of money. So how does an injured, unemployed twenty-five year old pull this off? Easy, with daddy's money.

After the injury put an end to his dancing career, his father offered to pay to help him do whatever he decided to do. He was thrilled when his plans turned to 'running' the theatre instead of dancing for it. As a result, Vince Evans gave his son fifty million dollars to start his group and an additional five million just for the heck of it, and he keeps it coming.

In other words, now he's got all the money in the world at his disposal. Usually, the seemingly endless flow of money would be enough to attract the attention of any available, and/or taken, ladies. But in Ryan's case, no such luck. And after watching him for a few minutes, Troy began to see why.

From his spot on the steps, he could see just about everything: dealings on the street, people eating in the cafe across the street, couples walking in the park, people relaxing on their lunch break, and Ryan Evans making a complete and total fool of himself.

He was sitting half a flight down and a few yards over from him and trying to eat his lunch. I say trying because his was spilling most of the sandwich's contents on himself.

Troy shook his head as he watched Ryan tried to scrub the mustard off his pants. With one hand, he was hopeless rubbing at the stain and only succeeding in making it even more noticeable. In the other hand, he was holding the sandwich at a dangerous angle, and just as he gave up on the mustard stain, the rest of the sandwich fell onto his lap. He sighed dolefully, moved away from the mess, and waited dejectedly.

Troy chuckled to himself and slid his shades over his eyes as he walked towards his next client. "I suppose even sandwiches can be tricky sometimes." Ryan jumped at the sound of his voice and looked up at him. "I got your call about your 'problem.' Take these, go change, and we'll talk," he said handing Ryan a new pair of pants.

He gaped as he took the hanger. "How did you..."

"Don't worry, it's all a part of my services. Now, go change and we'll talk about the wonderful lady who's caught your eye." Troy watched amusedly as Ryan's face lit and he ran off to change. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. Then he heard a loud crash and several screams and turned to see Ryan wound up in the ruins of a vendor's cart and struggling to get free. "Spoke too soon." he said as he ran up the stairs to help Ryan. This was going to be an interesting day.

* * *

_**That Night At The Bar**_

"No way!"

"Dude, totally serious. Mustard everywhere," he said downing the remainder of his beer.

"And the girl?"

"I don't know yet. I was too busy handling the vendors." When he noticed his friend's confused look he continued, "I gave him some pants to change into, and on his way to the restroom he crashed into some cart. Totally demolished it, one of the wheels came off and rolled down the steps; hit some big wig in the head. Next thing I know the police were there taking statements and everyone was taken to the station for questioning. I spent the entire afternoon trying to clear his name and keep the people from suing."

Chad almost squirted beer out his nose. After several coughing fits, he finally managed to choke out a, "What happened?"

"I got them to drop the charges but Evans still had to pay for the damage. He didn't seem to mind though, he's totally loaded."

"And still having lady problems?" Troy gave him a meaningful look. "Oh, right. Well, man, I don't know how you do it. I would have bashed my head against the pillar if I had to deal with that everyday."

"Well, I'm sure your hair would cushion the blow," Troy chuckled.

"Hey," his face serious now, "don't insult the fro." The two stared at each other for a while before busting out laughing. "I'm serious!" he said stopping suddenly.

Troy laughed, "Did I hurt its feelings?"

"Frieda is very sensitive. Aren't you sweetie?" he said patting his hair.

"Aww man Chad, you did NOT name your hair. Again?" Troy groaned. His friend gave him a questioning look. "How's, Tay feel about that?"

"Oh, you know Tay, totally overdramatic. I don't know what her problem is."

"Dude, ever think that's it's because she's not competing with a girl, because Tay could totally kick any one's..."

"Watch your mouth mister!"

Troy smiled at his friend's juvenility. "All I'm saying is that your **_wife_ shouldn't have to compete with your ****hair** for your attention."

****

"

At least I _have _a wife."

"Still not sure how I managed that one," Troy teased. Chad ignored him.

"All I'm saying is that maybe it's time for you to..."

"No way man, we've had that conversation before." Troy said quickly as he grabbed a pool stick and walked over to an open table.

"Right, cause the 'date doctor,' a man who makes a living helping people commit, can't commit to anything for more than one night." he said as he racked the balls.

"Just drop it Chad. I don't want to talk about this tonight," he growled shooting the cue ball into the pyramid. Chad sighed and wordlessly joined him.

"And that's game." Chad said moments later.

"Like always," Troy muttered taking another swig from a bottle.

"You know what your problem is? You only think about the short game. It's always, what's available now? What's easy? You don't think about the future, how that move will affect you later. And that's why you always miss out on the rewarding experience that comes with the sweet taste a victory. This about how to win in the long run, not just how to score a quick point."

"Dude, I said I didn't want to talk about relationships. I'm so sick of talking about how I could have this great relationship with some girl. I'm not going to live happily ever. Everyone has someone out there, and mine got stolen by another guy. Why? Because I couldn't stand up for myself. I had my chance, I blew it. Fate played me, and now I'm doing whatever I can to mess with it. I won't let that happen to anyone else." he said sadly as he grabbed his beer and fell back into a chair.

Chad stared at him stunned. "I was just talking about pool."

"Sure you were," he said, sarcasm heavy in his voice.

"Dude, I mean it. I'm not that deep. But you... and know that you bring it..."

"I didn't." he insisted.

Chad ignored him, "It's time to let it go. So your love at first sight, all-American, perfect, cheerleading, brainiac, artistic, musical, creative, sensitive, girl next door, dream girl got stolen by the shallow, insensitive, brain-cell lacking, pompous jerk of a football captain who had a killer body. It was seven years ago. It's time to move on. There are more important things in life than..."

"Listen it's late. I've got to meet with my new client in the morning. I'll talk to you later. Alright."

"Sure man," he sighed watching his friend trudge towards the door. "Hey wait," he yelled. Troy turned slowly. "You coming to the cookout next weekend right?"

"Wouldn't miss it." he said. "And tell Lil J he owes me a rematch." he shouted over his shoulder as he reached for the door.

"Glutton for punishment aren't ya Bolton!"

"I can't let a five year old beat me at basketball!" he grinned. "Tell him!"

"He'll be thrilled. See ya man."

"See ya." he returned walking out the door and turned towards his apartment.

"Glutton for punishment," he mumbled racking the balls and taking aim. He hit the cue ball and watched as the red and yellow solid balls fell into the left corner pocket and the red and yellow striped balls fell into the right corner pocket.

His grandmother had always said that signs are all around us. Begging us to heed their warnings. So Chad knew that it hadn't just been a coincidence. Something was about to change, he could feel it. And whatever it was, it was coming in twos. Chad sighed and walked around the table. He hoped that whatever it was, it was good. The gang was already under enough pressure right now. He hit the ball and watched the solid blue ball and the solid brown ball go into the same pocket. "Blue and brown," he said. Was that another clue? "Wonder what that means."

He finished his game and headed home. It was getting late and Taylor was probably already angry that he hadn't called. He texted her quickly and headed out the door singing an old tune, "Wild-cats, are the best, red white and gold."

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**A/N- Alright, a bit of foreshadowing. Dun dun dun. Anywhoz, let me know what you think and please review!**


	3. First Bad Habit

**A/N- Thanks for all the great reviews. They were so fun to read!! Keep it up!!**

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**First Bad Habit**

Troy tried to shake the previous night's conversation from his head as he jogged up the steps that led to his office. He quickly unlocked the door and walked over to his desk where he flipped open his laptop and threw his briefcase under the desk. After hanging up his jacket, he plopped down in his chair and took a sip of coffee. He cringed at the taste and set it down. He'd never really acquired a taste for the hot liquid but he'd developed a habit of drinking it his freshman year. And after seven years, the habit still held strong.

A musical tone rang from his computer's speakers signaling that it was done loading up. He directed his attention to the screen and clicked on the icon that would connect him to the internet. He cringed again as he took another gulp of coffee and wished that he could break the habit. But breaking habits is a hard thing to do and requires dedication and time. Two things that Troy did not have a surplus of, due to the fact that all of his dedication and time went into his job. A job that would officially begin in 5-4-3-2...

The door flew open and a bumbling, breathless Ryan Evans stumbled blindly into the room. "I'm so sorry. I know I'm," he paused to check his watch, "3 minutes and 27 seconds late but I have an excuse. You see, I was walking down the street and..." The sound of the door slamming shut distracted him and he stepped back and bumped into a decorative table. The vase on the table fell to the ground and shattered.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry. It looks really expensive."

"Ryan," Troy interrupted.

"I'll totally pay for it. Just add it to my bill."

"Ryan," he repeated calmly.

"I know this is no way to start off."

"Ryan," he snapped rubbing his temples.

"First I embarrass myself at lunch, then I get arrested and you have to bail me out..."

"Ryan!"

"Then I arrive late to our rescheduled meeting, at a time I told you I'd have no trouble making..."

"Ryan!"

"Which is still the case. It's that I was walking by this store and in the window they had this outfit that would be perfect for my next show. So I had to call my wardrobe person and..."

"RYAN!" Ryan closed his mouth and stared terrified at the angry Troy; whose usually bright blue eyes had turned midnight blue and were boring into him. Troy inhaled and exhaled deeply. "I apologize. That was rather rude of me," he said finally. "Why don't you take a seat?" he suggested motioning to the chair situated in front of the desk. "Coffee?" he asked picking up his cup and walking towards his desk. Ryan shook his head and sat down as he wearily watched as Troy finished his cup and leaned back in his chair.

Ryan cleared his throat and asked, "What about the vase?"

"The what?"

"The vase," he repeated. Troy stared at him, puzzled. "I broke the vase," he said glumly motioning to the pieces of pottery lying on the ground.

Troy smiled and turned towards the cabinet behind him. He pushed the huge, wooden doors apart to reveal hundreds of identical vases lining the shelves. "Which one should be the lucky replacement?" he asked with a grin.

"How did... I mean... How did... I..." he gaped.

Troy chuckled and grabbed the closest vase before closing the doors. "In my first week here, I broke twelve of these things," he said as he began to clean up the ruins of the old vase. "I ran into five, slammed the door into three, knocked over two with stray paper footballs, and another got broken when a bird flew in here," he recalled as he threw swept the rest of the pieces up and threw them into the trash can.

"What about the last one?"

"Huh?"

"That's only eleven vases, you said you broke twelve."

"Oh, right. Well on my last trip to the shop, after I bought the vase, Mrs. O'Hara, the one who makes the vases; handed me and envelope. Inside were the keys to a moving truck and a note that read _"I'm so sick of making those things. Just take them all and don't come back._" So I walked out the truck and found hundreds of vases surrounding this huge cabinet. I was so shocked that I dropped the one I'd just bought." They sat in silence for awhile before Troy broke it by saying, "Man, I love that woman."

The two of them laughed until Troy cleared his throat and asked, "So, what about the one you're after. That's why we're here isn't it?"

"Right of course." he replied excitedly. Troy leaned back and relaxed as Ryan began babbling about all of her "amazing qualities," as he called them. As he went on, Troy found himself thinking about the conversation he'd had with Chad at the bar. And as his attention turned away from Ryan, he found himself missing most of his rambling. Not that is mattered too much. He still managed to grasp that he'd met her at an audition and that she taught music at an elementary school. He also heard that she has dark, curly hair and brown eyes. And after that he totally zoned out. All he could think about was the girl he'd lost.

**__**

Flashback

_Troy stood in the middle of the crowd and searched for her familiar face. He was never going to find her in this mess. Holding onto the two ice cream cones, he pushed his way through the crowd and waited by the fence. He felt something cold running down his hand and groaned when he saw what it was. "Great, they're going to melt. Gabriella is going to kill me."_

_His head fell back and rested on the fence as he waited. Why hadn't they arranged to meet at a certain place? She probably thought he'd abandoned her. She could already hear her voice yelling... "TROY!" Wait a minute, that was her voice! Troy's head shot up and his eyes batted back and forth, searching frantically for the owner of the voice. Then he spotted a curly ponytail bouncing up and down._

_Troy laughed as he watched his friend jumping up and down on the bleachers trying to spot him. The people around her seemed angry and as he walked closer he could hear them arguing._

_"Listen little girl. Some of us are trying to watch the game."_

_"Yes, and with all your jumping, we can't hear a thing."_

_"First of all," she said, "the game- **jump**- doesn't start- **land**- for another half- **jump**- an hour- **land**. And I- **jump**- am currently- **land**- watching for- **jump**- my best friend- **land**. So I suggest- **jump**- that you- **land**- shut-up unless you want TROY!" She screamed mid-jump. The people around her sighed in relief when she stumbled down the steps and threw herself at him._

_"Whoa, careful. You don't want me to drop these do you?" he chuckled as she wrapped him in a tight hug._

_She let go and screamed, "ICE CREAM!" She grabbed one of the cones and kissed his cheek. "Thank you thank you thank you Troysie! You always know how to make my day!"_

_"No problem," he mumbled blushing. He glanced up and she her beaming at him. "All I want is too see you happy," he whispered sweetly. Gabriella's eyes softened and she slowly leaned in, there lips were only millimeters apart when..._

_"Dude, is that ice cream?!" Chad ran into Troy and bit into the cone._

_A flustered Troy stumbled back and glared at Chad. "What the hell man!"_

_"Wuh? Aa'm ungree," he said spitting out pieces of cone at Troy as he spoke._

_"That's disgusting man," he laughed. "Swallow before you talk."_

_Chad grinned at them but it faded when he saw Gabriella. "What's wrong G, you look bummed."_

_Troy looked up to see Gabriella staring at him with a look in her eyes he couldn't identify. "I'm fine," she sighed. "Let's go find our seats," she said, sadness pouring from her voice._

_She remained silent for the first half of the game, and just stared at the backs of the people in front of her. Troy and Chad took turns trying to cheer her up, but nothing worked. She wouldn't budge. Finally the second quarter ended and everyone stood up for half-time._

_"I don't know about you two, but this dawg needs some hot dogs. You guys want anything?" Chad said standing up._

_"No I'm good. Gabi?" She shook her head. Troy shrugged, "Guess not, thanks man."_

_"No prob," he said. Then he leaned down and said, "Fix-it!" before running off._

_Troy sat in shock. Did Chad think this was his fault? Had he done something wrong? He looked over at Gabriella and saw her staring at him again. She didn't look mad. She looked... what was that look. She'd never looked at him like that before._

_"Gabi..." he said. "I..."_

_"And we're back with the second half in the game between the East High Wildcats and Carson High Jets. I'm Robert Shaffer, welcome back," the announcer said. Troy looked around and saw everyone back in their seats. Even Chad!_

_"When did you get back?" he whispered._

_"Like five minutes ago," he answered. "What happened? When I came back you had this weird look on your face. What'd she say?"_

_"Nothing."_

_"Nothing?" Chad questioned_

_"Yes. She just stared at me."_

_Chad groaned, "Well do something!" Then he took a bite of his hot dog and turned back to the game._

_Troy looked back at Gabriella. She was looking down and biting her lip. "Dang it!" he muttered. She really was upset. He knew that she would only bite her lip if she was about to cry. He searched his memory for a reason for her to be mad at him, then he remembered- the kiss. They'd almost kissed._

_He'd been dreaming about that moment since he'd first met her, but they were just friends. "Ugh. How could I be so stupid?" he groaned._

_"What man?" Chad said. He looked up and noticed Chad and Gabriella staring at him._

_"Did I say that out loud?"_

_"Yep!"_

_Troy glanced at Gabriella and then checked the clock; they were half way through the fourth quarter, but he had to talk to her now. He grabbed her hand and motioned for her to follow, and surprisingly, she stood without hesitation. He pulled her down the steps and over to the side of the bleachers before stopping and turning to say anything. One look in her eyes and it all poured out._

_"Gabriella, I'm so sorry. It was just a spur- of the moment thing. I don't know what's wrong with me. I know we're just friends, and I'm perfectly fine with that. We are friends. Just friends. All we'll ever be is friends. I know that and it's okay. It was stupid, and we can totally forget it ever happened So, are we ok?" he asked worriedly. After a few seconds of silence, he looked up at her and was stunned to see pain etched across her face. A light bulb flicked on in his head, "You want to be **friends** right?"_

_Her eyes looked everywhere but at him as she stammered, "Ummm... yeah sure, friends. Of course we're still friends... just friends, always friends. Friends is good. We're good friends. I mean good as friends. But we're good friends too I guess. I want to be your... friend."_

_Troy stared down at her. She was usually so happy and energetic. She was always smiling and laughing and glowing with confidence. But none of that showed now. She seemed so nervous, so unhappy, so... un-Gabriella-like. And he knew why. Without thinking he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. He wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and she immediately reached up and wrapped hers around his neck. They didn't separate until they heard a loud alarm, loud cheering from the crowd, and the announcer scream, "And it's all over. Wildcats Win!"_

_The two teens smiled at each other._

"Gabriella..."

"Excuse me?" Ryan asked. Troy's eyes snapped open and glanced at a confused Ryan.

"Yes?" he said trying to sound calm. He'd completely zoned out. What had they been talking about?

"It's just... Never mind. As I was saying. I'm not sure how this... business, works but..."

"Then let me explain," Troy interrupted, happy to have changed to a more comfortable topic. "What I do is make her see you. And not just, oh there's that guy from that place who knows so and so. No, I make her see you. And we'll convince her, that what she sees, is what she wants."

"How do we do that?"

"Well, first you'll meet in a way that will have her thinking about you all day. She won't be able to get you out of her head. Soon she'll start wondering if she'll ever see you again, and as soon as that happens, you'll run into each other. And bam, she thinks it's the work of fate. Soon you're dating and wondering what you ever did without each other. And once she's yours, you'll no longer need me and you'll forget I ever existed."

"Oh I won't do that," Ryan assured him. "If you can help me win her, I'll never forget you!"

"Yes you will. It's part of the contract," Troy chimed in. Then pointing to the page said, "Now sign here- turned page- and here, and here, initial here, sign- oh no not there, here. Perfect. Mr. Evans, welcome to my clinic. I'm the Date Doctor, prepare to be cured." He quickly stuffed the packet into his draw and said, "Sorry for the cliché, I can never resist," he chuckled. "Now, did you bring that information file? Great," he said taking the manila folder.

"Is that it?"

"Yep. I'll do some research about her, get to know her, and turn you into her dream-guy."

Ryan's face scrunched up. "Change?"

"We can't make you into something you're not; that's lying and women hate that. So no, change is a bad word. More like polish, finish, tidy-up, or clean. Understood?"

Ryan sighed in relief, "Absolutely."

"Great, I'll see you Monday." Troy shouted as Ryan left the room. He nodded in acknowledgement and carefully shut the door behind him.

Finally. Troy stretched and organized his desk. For some reason he was dreading opening the folder. But he couldn't understand why. This was his job, he loved his job. He owed it to all the men out there who were in the same situation he'd been in so long ago. He had to help him. With his newfound determination, he opened the folder and stared at the picture in front of him, the girl he was to make fall in love with Ryan Evans.

He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing correctly. There was no mistaking the sight. With her heart shaped face, button nose, big brown eyes, and mocha skin, she could easily get a modeling career with any agency. She was beautiful. Just as beautiful as she'd been when he'd first met her the year before high school.

She just moved to Albuquerque from San Diego and was all alone. They were next door neighbors and quickly became best friends. She was a dancer, singer, actress, and basketball cheerleader. And he'd been a shy writer, musician, and according to the coach, a basketball prodigy. They'd spent hours shooting hoops in his backyard, not even caring about the score. They'd been so happy. But then she stole his heart and gave hers to someone else.

Now here he is, staring at her picture, preparing to set her up with another man. She'd been the only girl who had ever tried to know him, the only person who'd known him better than he'd known himself, the only person he'd never worried about being judged by, the only person he could truly tell anything to, the only one who'd ever had his heart: "Gabriella Montez."

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**A/N- Please review!! And check out my profile page if you haven't seen or heard the hsm3 promos or available song clips!**


	4. See You Again

**A/N- Wow. I'm a terrible updater. I'm so sorry for the long wait!**

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**See You Again**

He stared up from picture. It couldn't be her could it? She was suppose to be in Paris studying art, having an acting career in New York or Hollywood, taking pictures of exotic places, or heading an expedition or rescue mission in the rainforest. He knew she would come back eventually, but he'd never thought about really seeing her again. He'd always thought that the next time he'd see her face would be on the internet or television where they would announce that she'd become as an accomplished artist, musician, actress, scientist, or had just ended global warming; something along those lines. Gabriella Montez would never live a life of mediocrity.

But Ryan had said she was a music teacher for elementary school kids. That couldn't be her could it? That was too average. He looked at the picture again. It was definitely her. No doubt about it, the section that said 'name' had Miss Gabriella Elizabeth Montez written across it. It was her. It was really her.

The girl he'd lost so long ago was back, and was staying. His heart quickened and his stomach clenched. How could this be happening? What could he possibly have done that was so bad that he deserved this? He'd never stolen, killed, or intentionally hurt anyone. Sure he messed with fate a bit, but it was for its own good. Shouldn't it be happy that he was helping make peoples' lives happier? Since he'd started this business three years ago, the divorce rate in Albuquerque had dropped drastically. Wouldn't that make the big guy happy? Wasn't he supposed to dislike divorce? Didn't he want his children to live happily ever after?

No one who had ever come to the "Date Doctor" had ever divorced. No one ever regretted their decision to ask for his help. Everyone had only become more successful after hiring him. The story always ended with a happily ever after. And seeing that happen for people who thought they'd always be alone was something that Troy always treasured. It lessened his pain to see that he had stopped another person from living with the pain he felt everyday.

I loved being able to keep them form experiencing a raving aching feeling of what might have been. To be able to wipe away the endless flow of "what if" and "if only." He never wanted them to start their days waking up in an empty and feeling alone in the world. That was no way to live. He knew that from experience that it was an unrewarding lifestyle.

His thoughts shifted to Ryan. He was clumsy, nervous, and fearful. But he was also kind, generous, and had a successful career. Exactly the kind of guy he wanted for Gabriella to have.

As Mrs. Evans, she'd be set for life. She'd never have to lift a finger if she didn't want to. And Ryan wasn't the kind that would be controlling over her and turn her into a trophy wife or automatic plus one. He'd take care of her.

She'd be happy with Ryan. That's what he'd always wanted wasn't it, for her to be happy? Ryan cared about her, and didn't want to lose her. And Troy knew what it was like to lose her. It killed. He didn't want Ryan to feel how he felt. He wouldn't let that happen.

Resolve pumped through his veins and he set to work. It would take a lot to turn Ryan Evans into her dream guy. He clicked on the internet explorer icon and waited for the window to finish loading. It was time to do find out what Miss Montez had been up to the past few years.

****

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"I can't do this. What am I suppose to say? What if I trip? What if I forget what to say? I'm going to make a complete fool out of myself aren't I?"

"Probably," he said nonchalantly.

"What!" Ryan wailed. Several people around them turned to look.

"Shh." he urged. "People are staring, do you want to mess this all up?" Ryan shook his head furiously. "Good." he said. "Now, you remember what to do right?" Ryan shook his head no. "Perfect. Good luck," he said pushing him into the produce section before disappearing down an aisle.

"Ugh," he groaned.

"Yeah, I know. Spinach isn't my favorite vegetable either," someone said as they reached for the leaves. "But add a few ingredients and it makes an amazing dip."

Ryan smiled. "I know what you mean. I have no idea how Popeye ate this stuff. But a friend of mine needs it for a party or something so here I am."

"That's so nice of you," she said, her hair still hiding her face. "My friends wouldn't do that for me."

"I'm sure they would if you asked enough. I'm sure no one could turn someone like you down." He froze. Why had he said that? The person probably thought he was a psycho. "I'm so sorry. That came out wrong. I just meant that you seem nice and that people usually have trouble turning down people that are nice because..." he paused. "I don't think I can make that sound good so how about this, my name is Ryan Evans and I have the gift of gab. Unfortunately it didn't come with an owner's manual or gift receipt so I'm kind of stuck. I apologize if I offended you."

The voice laughed and brushed the hair out of her face as she turned to face him. "No offense taken. You just surprised me is all. And I'm Gabriella Montez," she said holding out her hand to him

He stared dumbly at her hand. It was her! His mind began to over process everything: his hair, his clothes, his words, his posture, where he was standing, body language, etc. And all the while, he was just standing there gaping.

Gabriella stepped back. "Are you alright?" she asked nervously.

Ryan thought. How should he answer that? Yes was too plain and he was pretty sure that he wouldn't be able to form the words. But he couldn't just nod. He racked his brain for another option and remembered what Troy had said earlier.

They'd been sitting in his office reviewing movie clips of how guys had totally blown their chances with a woman at the first impression stage. He'd paused the clip and had turned to Ryan and said, "The worst thing you can do is panic. First impressions are extremely important. It doesn't matter if the person is judgmental or not, their first impression of you will stick with them forever. No one forgets how they meet someone. So when you meet her, you have to make an impact if you are to stand a chance at having a relationship with her."

"Alright. And while we're on the subject, here are some things to keep in mind. One, stay cool. Don't gape, drool, or go into shock; it'll scare her off. Two, talk to her, be casual. She may not be just another girl to you but you have to act like she is. Otherwise you'll come off as a potential stalker. And that's a BAD thing. No one wants to date their stalker. And thirdly, don't ramble on and on for hours. Say hi, introduce yourself, and then chat a bit before moving on. That means you say something, she replies and adds something, you reply and then WALK AWAY. Don't worry, if you do everything right you'll see her soon. Got it?"

"Got it," he said.

"Excuse me?" Gabriella asked. Ryan looked up and saw Troy perusing around the fruit stand. He noticed Ryan's gaze and motioned for his to wrap it up.

"I'm sorry. It's just that me gift of gab seemed to fail for a moment." he said quickly. Gabriella replied with an uneasy smile. "It's just that you look familiar."

Gabriella's eyes narrowed slightly and she stared at Ryan. Suddenly her eyes widened in shock and she flushed. "Oh my goodness, you're Ryan Evans. The Founder and Producer of Modern Exotica, the theatre troupe." she said excitedly. "I auditioned for the opening in your company last year," she added quietly.

"Oh that's right," he said feigning remembering. "You were perfect for the female lead in the production we were planning. But you turned us down."

"Oh, I was very flattered. I really was. The script was amazing. I loved it. But my students had a concert coming up and really needed me. And the schedule interfered with that and I couldn't bring myself to let them down. They're great kids and I really adore them. I couldn't turn my back on them like that, not when they needed me so much," she said apologetically. Across the room, someone coughed pointedly, and it sounded like the person was saying Ryan.

"Of course. Loyalty is very important. You couldn't have just left them. I understand." he reassured her. Someone coughed loudly again, Ryan took the hint. "It was nice to see you again Miss Montez." he said before grabbing plastic crate of spinach leaves and walking towards the coughing cauliflower stand.

"Cough syrup is in aisle 3 sir," Ryan chuckled.

"What are you doing don't talk to me!"

"Why?"

He groaned. "Because I'm not supposed to exist."

"Well it's going to look weird if I just walk away now. She's watching me talk to cauliflower."

Troy stood up quickly and shoved a few pieces into a bag before shoving Ryan towards the rows of cans and boxes. "What took so long? I said keep it short."

"I was just..."

"Don't' point or turn around," he hissed. "Just walk."

"You okay? You seem... I don't know. Agitated, maybe hurt?"

Troy steered him down the next aisle and veered around to face him. "Just stick to the plan. It's never failed. Alright?" Ryan nodded "In any case, you haven't messed everything up. When you walked away she was watching."

"That good?"

"It means she knows you're alive," Troy responded

Gabriella had watched confusedly as he walked over to the cauliflower, broccoli, peas, and beans stand and began talking. They say you should talk to your plants but she knew that this wasn't healthy. What was he doing? Then someone stood up and shoved some vegetables into a bag and quickly turned away.

He was tall, toned, and tanned. He had shaggy brown and was dressed in a casual dress suit. But still, not your average grocery shopping attire. As he walked away, Ryan in tow, something pulled at the back of her mind. She was suddenly overcome with a feeling of déjà vu. Why did this scene seem so familiar? He glanced back at her as he sharply turned down the aisle pulling Ryan with him. In that split second, their eyes met and sparks ignited in her veins as brown met blue.

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**A/N- dun dun dun... anyway, kind of a build-up/ filler chapter. What do you think? Please review!**


	5. One Step at a Time

**A/N- Aww! Thx 4 the g8 reviews everyone. **

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**One Step at a Time**

It had to be him. It couldn't be anyone but him, could it? One look in his eyes was all she needed to see that it was him. No one else could have blue eyes that inhumanly electric blue. The color of them was glorious enough to draw envy from the brightest, clearest, sparkling skies and oceans.

She'd first seen those eyes the summer before her freshman year. She'd just moved the Albuquerque from San Diego. Her friends and family were eight hundred miles and two states away. It was a long eleven hour drive back, and she didn't expect any of them to take an impromptu road trip to visit her. For once, she was totally alone.

Her mother had been babbling away for the past five hours about how this was going to be "a great experience," for them and "a chance to smart fresh." No one would know them here and they could be anything they wanted to be. On any other day Gabriella might have made a few "suggestions" about how they could reinvent themselves, but not today. As they pulled up to the stop sign, Gabriella's nervous stomach clenched up and Maria's foot pressed onto the accelerator, Gabriella leapt from the car and sprinted across the street.

The wind whipped her hair out behind her as she ran through the grass lawns. People were looking at her funny as she jumped over picket fences and past kids playing in sprinklers. A few of them screamed rude phrases at her but she didn't care. She didn't care that she was running through people's yards. She didn't care that she didn't know where she was going. She didn't care that since she'd left her cell phone in the car, she didn't have a way to contact her mom. She just wanted to run, to feel the wind in her hair, the sun on her back, her feet hitting the ground, her arms pumping, her lungs burning, and her muscles screaming with exhaustion. She wanted her body to hurt so much that she'd be unable to feel the pain in her heart.

"Just run," she told herself. And she kept running until she reached the park. She slowed to a jog and placed her arms behind her head as she tried to catch her breath. She walked over to the tiny, narrow, wood bridge and peered into the water below. She leaned over the edge and wondered how it would feel to drown in the murky stream below her.

But that was a stupid thought. Nothing was worth that. She sighed and walked over to the steps that led off the bridge. She hated taking every step, it was too slow. Instead she jumped of the bridge and landed on the concrete walkway. It'd been a little higher up then she'd thought and she shook the pain out of he ankles and knees. At that moment and couple of kids ran past her and knocked her off balance. She stumbled into the wet grass and before she knew it, she was plunging into the water.

She'd screamed as the ice cold water engulfed her and pulled her to the deepest part. She couldn't touch the ground and the current immediately dragged her to the bottom. Her father had been an avid seaman and although he'd never been around enough to teach her much, he'd definitely taught her not to panic around water. So when she felt her back hit the rocky bottom, she just pushed herself back towards the surface. She was almost there when something tugged her back down. She pulled on her leg but she didn't move. She was stuck.

She floated back down and saw that someone's old fishing rod had ended up at the bottom of the stream and was now jammed around the rocks. Its line was wrapped around every possible object which made impossible to move anything. Not even the raging water could separate the rocks from the line's iron grip. And it's hook? You guessed it- right in Gabriella's pant leg. And like its cohorts, the hook refused to let go of anything it caught.

Gabriella's father used to say that instruments, like fishing rods or boats, should be thought of as an extension of ones-self. And Gabriella concluded that the previous owner of the fishing rod had been a ruthless catcher.

Everything seemed to get darker around her as her lungs began to run out of air. She now had the answer to her question- "What would it be like to drown here?" Her answer? Not fun, not fun at all. She hadn't expected it be fun but she hadn't expected it to hurt this much. The cold water made her feel like thousands of pins where stuck into her skin and her body was demanding oxygen. She knew she was about to die, she was positive. But one thing that was uncertain was the whole death procedure thing. Where was the whole life-flashing-before-her-eyes thing? Where was the bright light? Where were the singing angels? All she saw was darkness. And it was getting heavier, and heavier, and hea...

Then she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. She opened her heavy eyes and saw a dark figure in front of her. But she couldn't keep them open. She was so tired. She just wanted to slip away, into the warm, empty darkness. The figure plugged her nose and breathed into her. The darkness dimmed and her thoughts seemed to clear for a moment. She realized she was still underwater and pointed to the hook in her jeans. The person dove towards it and easily pulled out the hook.

She was free! She tried to swim up but her limbs felt like they were made of lead. The figure wrapped his arms around her and pulled her towards the surface. She choked, sputtered, and gasped as her lungs filled with oxygen and dispelled the water. She heard the person beside her call to a friend and felt them pull her out and lay her on the grass.

When she opened her eyes again, it was bright, except for the darkened blob in the middle. "Are you alright?" the blob asked.

"Of course she's not alright, she almost died!" another voice said. She blinked and looked around, searching for the other person.

"I didn't ask you. I know you're not alright," he snapped back. The blob's voice sounded irritated, but jokingly sweet at the same time.

"I'm fine," she coughed, trying to ease the tension between the two.

"There's nothing wrong with my head," the voice said in a tone that sounded like a pout.

"Says the guy who refers to his hair as his baby," the blob laughed. Her eyes had just adjusted to the light and she just make out the boy's shaggy brown hair.

"You're just jealous man. Cuz my hair is so F to the A to the B-U-LOoowwws." Gabriella rolled over and laughed into her hands as she watched the boy decked out in red and white sports wear dance around singing before falling over a tree root.

"He always like that?" Gabriella asked as she coughed up the last of the water.

"Pretty much. An average day for him consists of eating everything in sight, basketball, talking about his hair, basketball, making a TOTAL fool of himself, and basketball. Did I mention he plays basketball?"

"Yeah, you mentioned that," Gabriella laughed. She liked this shaggy haired boy and his weird, hair and basketball obsessed friend. They weren't like the guys that he used to hang out with, these guys seemed so nice.

"Just checking," he said cheekily. "You sure you're okay." Gabriella nodded and the boy smiled. "So where you from?"

"How do know I'm new?" she asked. Was it the way she dressed? She pushed herself into a sitting position and stared down at clothes. She was just wearing jeans and a tee, innocent enough.

Troy noticed and laughed. "It's not how you're dressed," he said sweetly. "I've just never seen you around school."

"Isn't it a big school though? You could have missed me," she challenged.

She watched as a grin took over the part of his face she could see. "I don't miss anything," he bragged.

"Really now," she said mocking disbelief.

He grinned more. "Really. I notice everything and everyone."

"He really does!" Chad yelled as he ran after a funny looking duck.

"What are you doing?" Troy shouted.

"This demon-duck stole my money," he responded as he chased the bird down the hill.

"Chad stop!"

"I can't he has my money."

"That's not what I mean. You're about to go in..." _**SPLASH** _and with that Chad plunged into the water. But unlike a normal person, he didn't run back out. Instead, he proceeded to swim after the duck with his money. Gave the grumpy old man feeding pigeons a good chuckle though.

Troy shook his head, "Sorry that we're the first people you meet. That can't help with the whole lack of normalcy thing," he said apologetically as he stood up.

"Who said I liked normal?" she shot back.

He smiled his thousand watt smile again and her heart melted. "Touché. By the way I'm Troy Bolton and that's Chad Danforth," he said offering her his hand.

"Gabriella Montez," she replied as she happily took his hand and he effortlessly pulled her up.

He pushed back his hair and looked down at the girl with twinkle in his eyes. "Welcome to the East Side Gabriella Montez."

And that was when she'd first fallen in love with Troy Bolton.

She spent the next three years wondering what it be like to have their lips touch again. To feel his arms wrapped around her for a reason other than to keep her from drowning. Waiting for the day he'd tell her that he felt the same electricity she felt when he looked in her eyes. It'd almost happened once, but after that. Something changed. She'd never known what, but after that night at the football game, he'd never been able to look at her. He'd avoided her like the plague. Chad had tried to comfort her, but he really was Troy's best friend, not hers. And soon she'd been all alone again.

In one weekend, she'd gone from never being alone, to always being alone. The change was so drastic and painful that she'd finally taken her mother up on the idea of her studying aboard. And three weeks after their devastating division, she was jetting off to an art school in Paris.

But now she was back in Albuquerque, and so was he. It couldn't be more perfect. Well, unless of course he felt the same way she did. But she didn't know how he felt because she hadn't seen him since that day at the market when she'd met Ryan.

She'd spent the next few days trying to track him down, but no one knew Troy Bolton. She finally decided to give-up and leave it to fate and went to take a trip down memory lane; starting with The Mudhouse.

It was a totally cliché name for the coffee house, but it seemed to add to its appeal. The outside of the building was designed to look like a hut or "mudhouse." It'd been painted in a way that you were almost afraid to touch it, worrying that if you did, everything would fall down. But the inside has warm and inviting. There were giant, fluffy sofas situated around the room and fireplace. The tables, chairs, and counters were made of mahogany. The walls were painted a deep vermillion and the floors were covered with a strange textured tile that made it look like you were walking on dirt. Other decorations, curtains, pillows, pictures, appliances, etc.; were a variety of colors that tied each other into the room. The designer had been a genius.

As Gabriella walked through the doors of the cafe, she was overwhelmed with the smell of coffee beans and forgotten memories. She felt out of place as she paid for her coffee and sat at a table by the window. It was she'd never been there before, even though she'd gotten breakfast there everyday with Troy throughout their high school career.

She looked over at the table they used to sit at and saw a man with shaggy brown hair sitting there. Her heart when she saw... "Ryan?"

"Hey Gabriella," he said enthusiastically.

_"What's he doing here?"_ she thought. She was trying to think of a way to get rid of him when she remembered something, Troy and Ryan were friends; at least she thought so. She could use Ryan to get to Troy. _"Just be cool,"_ she thought. "Ryan, I was just thinking about you!" she gushed excitedly_. __"Oops. That's not how I wanted that to sound. I hope he doesn't get the wrong idea." _

"Really!" he asked, his eyes glittering.

_"I think I gave him the wrong idea!"_ She scolded herself for forgetting about what they'd taught her in drama about voice control. "Oh, well I just mean that I...there...you...I..." she sighed. There wasn't a nice way to let him down while explaining she liked his friend.

Then a painful thought hit her, why hadn't Troy told Ryan he liked her. Unless he didn't like her. She glanced over at the table and saw him whispering to a tiny brunette in cut-offs. He was laughing and reached over and touched her cheek. She looked away before she had to watch them kiss. She'd been wrong terribly, terribly wrong.

"I was wondering if you were busy this weekend. I'm holding this kids' music/ theatre convention thing this weekend and wondered if you'd want to come."

Gabriella stared at Ryan. He seemed really sweet and all, but she couldn't picture herself dating him. He reminded her of Troy too much. Not that they were alike in any way, it's just that her first memory of Ryan was linked to seeing Troy again. And that was a sore spot right now.

Seeing Troy with another girl was torture. She wanted to walk over there and tear the little girl's hair out. The thought startled her. Was she really jealous of a girl she'd never met? No, she was jealous of her relationship with Troy. She wondered if Troy would feel jealous of her relationship with another guy. No, he probably wouldn't even notice. Unless he saw her with the guy a lot. She smiled mischievously, or he saw the guy a lot and he brought her with him.

She smiled sweetly at Ryan, "I'd love to. But I've got to go to this cookout thing at 4. My college roommate is throwing it for her friends and family. I haven't seen her in years and I just ran into at the school yesterday and promised I'd go. "

"Oh, no problem, the workshop will be done at two," he reassured her.

"Perfect," she clapped. "So I'll meet you at the theatre, and then we'll go to the cookout **_together_,"** she said putting emphasis on the "_together."_ "See you soon," she said with a wave. "And bring a change of comfortable clothes," she added as she walked out the door. But before she left, she glanced out of the cover of her eye and saw Troy staring at her sadly.

It was working! She felt so dirty about the whole thing. Dating a guy to make his best friend jealous was so un-Gabriella-like. And Ryan was such a nice guy; she didn't want to hurt him. Maybe they could stay friends after all this. He seemed like an understanding guy. He'd have to understand that she was meant to be with Troy. Maybe he'd even help her with the wedding!

But she was getting ahead of herself, she'd always hated steps. But that had been how she'd met Troy. But she figured that this time, she'd have to take things one step at a time. She could do that couldn't she? For Troy, she would do anything.

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**A/N- Let the drama begin. And whatever you're thinking right now, don't worry... I promise you're wrong; maybe. ;D But press the pretty blue button and send me a review. PLEEEEZZZZZZZ!!**


	6. Sweet Tooth

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A/N- Some of you said the last chapter was kind of confusing and I didn't think so.... I just suxed. So I re-did it (parts of it). Still not my best but it's ok I think. Oh and just to make this easier-

Characters:  
Chad and Troy grew up together in Albuquerque. They met Gabriella after she moved to town her freshman year of high school. Then Gabriella moved away and when she went to college, her roomie was Taylor. After college, Taylor met Chad (thanks to Troy) and they got married and had Jamie- the five year old. Then they moved back to Albuquerque. Troy became a "date doctor" and is trying to set-up Ryan Evans with Gabriella which brings us to the present. Hope that helps! Any other questions- PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ask me.

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**Sweet Tooth**

Gabriella shifted in her seat and gazed at her hand which was intertwined with his. It was nice and not at all uncomfortable; everything was at it should be. She help but think that something was missing though. A spark perhaps? Ryan was a nice guy, definitely the type she could see herself spending the rest of her life with, but there was no chemistry. Ryan didn't make her blood rush, heart skip, stomach twist, or mind hazy. She could think of kissing him, marrying him, and having a family with him, but never being attracted to him. It was like eating a cupcake without frosting or sprinkles, still good but not the same as one with the the extra sugar.

"So..." Ryan started, "what's your favorite food?"

"My favorite food?" Gabriella giggled. "Really?"

"It's just that I want to get know you better. Give any answer that would help with that and all be happy to listen."

Gabriella sat quietly for a moment letting that soak in. Finally she answered, "My favorite ice cream is... THAT"S THE HOUSE!!"

"Is that one of those new flavors that Ben and Jerry's hire people to come up with?" Ryan asked confusedly.

"No I mean THAT WAS MY FRIEND'S HOUSE. Back there!" Gabriella said.

"OH!!" Ryan quickly turned the wheel and the car spun 180 degrees. Gabriella glanced over at him surprised. "I took a stunt driver course in preparation of maneuverability test for my driver's liscense," he explained matter of factly as he pulled into the driveway. "Hold on one second," he said as got out of the car and ran around the front. He reached the passenger side door and motioned for her to exit. "A lady should never have to open her own door," he said in an exaggerated chivalrous tone.

"Why thank you!" Gabriella giggled. "That's very kind of you sir. Shall we join them?" she said copying his over- formality.

"We shall," he siad taking her offered arm and walking to the door.

* * *

_**Meanwhile with Troy**_

"Number 14, Troy Bolton, stares down his opponent. Ooh look how he's intimidating him with his skills,"

"I'm not intimidated," the five year old argued.

"Hey midget, don't interrupt my broadcast," he said seriously.

"Hey giant, get your head outta the clouds. You're goin dooowwwn," Jamie challenged.

"Oh really?" Troy said raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, really."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Oh yeah?"

"I said yeah like twenty times already." Jamie huffed

"Oh yeah?" Troy asked with a serious voice again. They stared at each other for and moment before doubling over laughing. Troy laid back on the court and Lil J sat down beside him.

"Uncle Troy?" he asked after a minute.

"Sup J?"

"I'm hungry."

"Me too," he said. "You think the food's done yet?"

"Probably," Jamie shrugged.

"YES!" he said rolling into and sitting position.

"But mom said we can't eat til her friend and her date get here."

Troy groaned and fell back. J laughed and grabbed the nearby ball. "Wanna shoot some hoops?"

Troy sat back up quickly, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Hey J, you like cookies?"

For once, the little boy dropped the ball before whispering, "I'm listening."

* * *

_**Back with Ryan and Gabriella**_

Ryan pushed the button and a bell echoed through the house. "Honey can you get that?" a voice inside yelled.

"Aww, why?" a male voice whined

"NOW!" the female demanded.

"Uh, sorry you're shh breaking up shh... you still there? I- n't -ear oo...Hello?"

"Chad you idiot." the women said as she got closer. "That only works if we're on the phone."

The door swung open and Gabriella squealed. "Taylor!"

"Gabriella!"

"Gabriella?" the man coming down the steps said.

"Chad?" Gabriella said shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"You know each other?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah we went to school together," Gabriella answered.

Taylor's face lit up. "Oh, so you know Tr-"

"-ainer Burks." Chad finished. "Course she knows him sweety," he laughed nervously.

"Who's Trainer Burks?" Gabriella asked.

"Oh Gabriella, you're such a kidder. Hey Tay can you help me with that thing at the uh place with the uh stuff?" Chad questioned, flustered. "Now!?!"

"Actually, can someone show me where the facilities are located? I uh, gotta go," Ryan admitted sheepishly.

"Who just said that? Aw crap you're that Ryan guy aren't you?" Chad winced as he finally noticed the source of the question.

"How do you know that?" Taylor asked.

"Oh... I just... You know I really think that we should talk about something else like... isn't this great weather we've been having? I mean, sure, it's freakishly hot but you know, some countries get snow in July. I for one, am extremely happy that New Mexico is not one of those... well it's actually a state but if you think about it, aren't states just like mini countries?"

"Oh you're totally hiding something, and I'm going to find out what it is. As for you Ryan, the bathroom is right down that hallway," Taylor answered pointing down a hallway. "It's the first door on the right. Now then, what's going on Chad?"

"What are you hiding?" Gabriella pressured

"I'm not hiding anything," he said backing away as both Taylor and Gabriella stepped closer.

"Yes you are, you always stutter when you're nervous," Taylor said.

"I'm n-not st-sttutter-ring," he argued meekly.

"And you're only nervous when you're lying. Or when you have to give a speech," Gabriella countered.

"I'm n-not lying."

"CHAD!" they warned.

"I... Who wants to eat?" He said rushing into the kitchen, the women right behind him.

"Now wait right there, I..." Taylor stopped and looked down. "Jamie, what are you doing on the floor? And Chad don't even think about... Where did he go?" Taylor asked.

"He ran when you looked down," Gabriella filled in.

"Oh! Well then... I'll deal with that later. Now J, wutcha doin?" Taylor said softly but firmly.

He guiltily looked up and replied with, "Nuffing."

"Are those cookies in your mouth? Before dinner?" she scolded.

"NooOoo," he said as he tried to keep the crumbs from pouring out of his mouth.

"And who gave you cookies?" she said looking around the room. "The person trying to sneak around the counter and out other door perhaps?" Taylor raised her voice accusingly.

The figure, knowing he'd been caught, froze. "Who me?" he asked, still on his hands and knees.

"You see anyone else trying to slink around the counter and out the door?"

He looked around and slowly stood with his hands in the air. "Alright you got me. Now there's only one thing to do. Initiate evasive maneuver negative nine six one two," he shouted as he scrambled away.

Jamie turned and spit the cookies at the unsuspecting women and clamored out the door and down the patio. "JAMIE!!!!" Taylor screamed rushing after the little boy. "When I catch you, I swear to God I'll... JAMIE!!!!"

Gabriella laughed and brushed the crumbs off her skirt. Today had not been what she'd expected. It'd been.... fun. The kids had really enjoyed the workshop and besides the food fight and the incident with the free rolls of duct tape, it had all gone really smoothly. No matter what challenges appeared, from assistants getting glued together to kids getting stuck in string mazes, Ryan had always kept a smile on his face, and one hers. He was patient and kind and nurturing. He was exactly the kind of guy she'd been looking for to replace...

She shook off the thought. Why did she keep thinking like that? She didn't need to replace Troy. She could never replace him, even if she wanted to. Some part of her would always remember him and belong only to Troy. Just the thought of him sent her blood rushing and the memories flood back. All those feelings came back as though they'd never been buried away. Ryan couldn't do that. And yet if she ever decided to give up on the thought of getting back with Troy.... She scolded herself and shook away the thought.

Ryan Evans was just a pawn, someone she could use to get to Troy. She couldn't let herself get too attached to Ryan Evans. He was nice and all, but not the guy for her. She had a plan and it was time to put it into action. She looked around the room and finally noticed that she was alone. "Taylor? Ryan? Chad? Anybody?" Where were they? She grabbed her bag and walked out onto the patio.

* * *

_**Meanwhile with Chad**_

The steps' creaking seemed to echo throughout the entire house. They were like tiny alarms screaming "Hey, look at me! I'm trying to not get noticed! Look over here!" Stupid steps. Did they want to be the scene of a violent murder when Taylor found him? But Taylor killing him was an everyday hazard so it wasn't at the top of his list of things to prevent. What was at the top was warning Troy about Gabriella and Ryan.

He knew he wasn't a genius or anything, far from it, but he was pretty sure that having his best friend, running into his ex best friend/ love interest who's set up with his client who doesn't know that the woman he's in love with and the man he hired to make her fall in love with him are in love with each other.... well the whole thing just screamed DRAMA!!!! And all this could be preventable if he could just find Troy and get him out of the house before Ryan or Gabriella saw him.

"What are you doing here?"

"What am _I_ doing here? What are _you_ doing here?"

Too late! Chad stopped and pressed his ear to the wall and listened to the voices coming from the other side.

"What are you talking about? You're the one that pulled me into this... laundry room." one voice shouted.

The laundry room! Chad scrambled down the remaining stairs and ran towards the tiny room.

"Not _here_ here stupid, _here_ here. In this house! You're supposed to be on a date with Gabriella!" Troy shouted from inside the room.

"I am. This is her friends' house. Which brings me back to- What are you doing here?" Ryan shouted back.

"Oh no, Gabriella is Taylor's friend. You're the ones we were waiting for. I had to steal cookies because of you!" Troy accused.

"What are you talking about?" Ryan asked, taken aback by the directional change of the conversation.

"I'm saying that... AHH Chad what the heck?" Troy yelled.

"Oh don't what the heck me. You're the one who's in the closet with another man. I could make so many jokes right now but I'm not going to because GABRIELLA IS OUT THERE!!! Which you probably already know because Ryan is sitting right next to you. How ya doin Ryan?" Chad said casually.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?"

"Shhh," Troy and Chad whispered. "Do you want them to find us?"

"This is bad. This is going to ruin everything," Troy moaned

"You're going to have to go back into retail," Chad countered.

"Oh don't even SAY that word around me," Troy warned him.

"You mean re..."

"Yes that one. That one," Troy twitched.

"I don't know what you're problem is. I mean, sure, they stuck you to a wall with those stamps you have to lick and left you there all night. But the firefighters got you down the next morning and you only lost a few layers of skin in the process. All in all, it wasn't that bad," Chad said nonchalantly.

"NOT THAT BAD?!? Chad, I can't even go into a Wal-Mart or watch sports where the players spit. It completely ruined baseball for me. BASEBALL!! It's the all-American pastime!"

"HEY!!!!! Somebody want to tell me what's going on?" Ryan shouted.

"Well," Chad started, "Troy and I were just remembering this time when..."

"Not that man," Troy interrupted. "He means why we're all here. And the reason is that.... um... we... I have a plan."

* * *

_**With Taylor and Gabriella**_

"So you used to live in Albuquerque? Oh I love it here; it doesn't rain. You never told me how you met Chad."

"It's a long story," Gabriella sighed sadly.

"Well, I'm not sure when the guys will be back so... Jamie what did I tell you about running in and out of the house?" Taylor scolded.

"Sorry momma." Jamie apologized.

"Ok then. Now go off and play. Oh and have you seen you're father? I'd like to talk to him."

"His in the closet," J shouted as he ran for the court.

The two women looked at each other and ran inside. Taylor rushed through the kitchen, took and sharp left and threw open the second door on the right of the narrow hallway.

"You... It's empty!" Taylor and Gabriella entered the room only to find hampers of clothes and an empty washer and dryer. They glanced questioningly at each other.

"Do you hear that?" Gabriella asked. They listened and could just make out a sound from across the hall.

Taylor motioned her to follow and crept towards the door. She silently twisted the doorknob and then threw open the door.

"Yes we bought this piece at... Oh hello darling. I was just showing Ryan around the house. He's got an eye for art. He's a keeper this one is Gabriella. So what have you two been up to?" Chad asked casually.

"We were...." Gabriella looked to Taylor.

"Umm... we were just.... Looking for you. We're waiting for you so we can eat. Now where's B..."

"Burgers. Yes we have plenty of burgers. We also have hot dogs and chicken and these weird patties of tofu or some sort of fake meat things if either of you are vegetarians or if you're up for a dare," Chad challenged.

"No way. That was a one time thing," Gabriella argued.

"And you blew chunks for hours afterward," Chad laughed.

"And on that note, let's eat," Taylor smiled.

Everyone grabbed a plate and completely missed the figure scaling down the side of the house.


	7. Seeing Red

**A/N- I suck, I suck, I suck, I suck, I suck. I am so sorry. I really am. I meant to go into writing-mode over break but after all the school projects and never-ending line-up of english papers and spanish projects and all the school crap and drama, I just wanted to chill. And then I got a few reviews and realizd that I haven't updated anything in over a month. I so suck. Sorry again. :(**

* * *

**Seeing Red**

"So what do you think about this one?" Gabriella asked as she twirled around, the skirt flaring above her knees.

"Oh sweetie, you look so cute!" Taylor gushed as Gabriella spun in front of the mirror. It was the first time she'd seen her friend like this in a long time. In fact, this was the first time she'd ever seen her get this excited about a guy. All during college she'd been too bummed about some high school boyfriend who'd ruined her life, the jerk. But then again, Taylor really couldn't judge the guy; Gabriella had never actually opened up and told her about him. But whoever he was, he'd been important and had broken Gabriella's heart.

Taylor took a deep breath and dismissed the feelings to hunt down that sorry excuse of a man and tear him limb from limb. It'd been seven years since then and apparently Gabriella had moved on, he probably had too. She turned her attention back to her friend. "Sweetie, you really do look beautiful. You're glowing!"

Gabriella flushed under the praise and twirled in the mirror again. She loved the dress, it was absolutely perfect. She'd searched every online shop for a dress like this, a dress like the one she'd worn her sophomore year. It'd been pretty conservative but even with it's one inch straps, zero cleavage- straight cut top, and skirt which ended just below the knees after flaring from the waist, it'd been the most revealing piece of clothing she'd owned during her high school career.

She smiled at the memory of the first, and last, time she'd worn that dress. She had been planning to wear it as a surprise for Troy, for winning the championship. She'd spent two weeks shopping for it and then two months' salary paying for it. Her mom had scolded her for being frugal and spending so much on a dress which might never get used if they lost, but she still spent four hours helping Gabriella with her hair and make-up. As a result of the obscenely long preparation period, Gabriella had missed the first half of the game and everyone's frantic calls asking where she was.

When she finally arrived at the game, the third quarter had just started and the Wildcats were down by ten! Troy'd looked awful and the coach, who happened to be his dad, was threatening to pull him out. She was trying to find a seat when someone shouted, "Gabriella's here!" A hundred eyes were suddenly on her and Gabriella was left paralyzed.

It wasn't that she didn't like people- people in general didn't bother her, she liked people, but when lots of them watched her at the same time, something in her brain would shut down and she'd turn to stone. It took several seconds for her realize that someone was pulling her to an empty seat. And when she did, she didn't have a chance to thank them because at that exact moment her eyes locked with Troy's. He'd completely lit up and then ran on the court, completely energized. He didn't miss a single pass or shot the rest of game.

With the final seconds of the game ticking by, the East High Wildcats were two points behind the West High Knights and, thanks to some crackpot ruling by the board which made ties and overtimes illegal in championship games, needed to get a three pointer in the next ten seconds to win. Wildcat defense was working overtime and the Knights were wasting time. A bad pass resulted in the ball being put in Troy's hands. Three seconds left and Troy shot the ball from half court. It went in with a swish.

When the final buzzer rang the crowd had gone wild and she'd run onto the court and leaped into his arms. His eyes had sparkled when he saw her in his arm. For the rest of the night, as they celebrated the win a various homes and restaurants, he'd never let her go or out of his sight. Even when his teammates joked about how "whipped" he was, he'd only pulled her closer and smiled. It'd been one of those nights where you pray that time will just forget to pass.

It was so strange for her to look back and think about how, after one hundred and nineteen days, they'd still been so happy together. Most of the student body had money on when they'd get married. No one had put money on them not even making it to their four month anniversary. But sure enough, that next Monday, he'd broken up with her.

Gabriella shook away the memory and rejoined reality. Not this time! He wouldn't be able to take his eyes off of her if she wore this dress now. She could just imagine herself standing in a crowded room, drink in hand. He'd walk up to her and ask her if they could talk and, of course, she'd say yes. Then they'd go outside and he'd say that he was so stupid for ever believing that he could live without her and beg for her forgiveness. He'd look into her eyes and her blood would rush and her heart would pound. An electric pull would bring them together and they'd kiss. Then fireworks would go off and the earth would move or something like that. Then he'd propose, they'd get married, they'd start a family, and live happily ever after. And it would all begin with this dress.

"I have to have it!" Gabriella squealed. "It's so incredibly perfect!"

"It really is," Taylor smiled. "Ryan will love it!"

Gabriella's face fell slightly. Ryan! How could she have forgotten about him? She was supposed to be dressing up for him wasn't she? She looked down at the dress. No this dress was for Troy, the reason she'd started dating Ryan. It was so easy to forget about him. Too easy. He was the only she'd ever loved and he was forgetting him for Ryan. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Oh no, what's wrong?" Taylor fretted rushing to Gabriella's side as she sank to the ground. "Did something happen with Ryan?"

"Yes," Gabriella sobbed, "that's the problem. Nothing was supposed happen between us." She paused and caught her breath, "I love him," she whispered so quietly that Taylor wasn't sure if she was supposed have hear it. But when Gabriella didn't answer, Taylor responded.

"Gabs, being in love isn't a bad thing. Ryan is a great guy..." the quietness set-in so quickly that Taylor stopped abruptly to check on Gabriella. "Breathe, Gabriella breathe," Taylor panicked.

"Ryan!?!" Gabriella gasped. Suddenly her face fell and she inhaled deeply. "I wasn't talking about Ryan," Gabriella admitted nervously.

Taylor's jaw dropped at the news. "It's not Ryan?" she asked. Gabriella shook her head. "Ryan is..."

"...a big mistake. I thought I could handle it. I thought I could make it painless for both of us, but it's gone too far. I think that he's someone I could have learned to love. Maybe under different circumstances we could have grown to be happy together, but not now." Gabriella finished. She wiped the tears away and continued, "Now he's a constant reminder of the one I lost. Nothing was ever supposed happen with him," she repeated.

Taylor stood up silently and helped Gabriella to her feet. "I think we need to talk," Taylor stated.

"Agreed," Gabriella whispered brushing invisible wrinkles out of the dress. As she padded back towards the dressing room she heard a voice shout: "You're still buying that dress." and had to smile.

Gabriella tried to keep her mind blank as she slipped the dress off and dressed back into her t-shirt and jeans. She couldn't afford to breakdown in a boutique two times in the same day. And at the moment, she was dangerously close to doing just that. This was just too overwhelming. She was barely conscious of her actions as she walked to the register and paid for the red dress, a few skirts for work, and a new pair of black shoes that she'd had to have as soon she'd stepped through the doors and seen them on display.

Taylor followed silently behind as they exited and shop and turned in the direction that would lead them to Gabriella's car. A block away from the lot Gabriella felt an arm link with hers. "It's going to be okay," Taylor whispered in her ear.

Gabriella kept walking until she arrived at the trunk of the car and fumbled with the remote to unlock it. The security alarm went off several times, the car locked and unlocked itself, the engine started, and the car finder alarm sounded but the trunk stayed closed. Every second Gabriella became closer and closer to crying but refused to let Taylor help her. Finally the trunk popped open and Gabriella collapsed. People stopped to stare as the walked past but she didn't notice and Taylor waved them away.

When she regained her composure, she loaded the bags into the car and, after a gentle prodding, surrendered the keys to Taylor. On the way home, Taylor watched a semi-hysterical Gabriella twist and untwist an unfamiliar jacket. "Is that Ryan's," Taylor asked quietly.

"Yeah it's..." Taylor turned to see Gabriella holding a card in her hand. "It's a business card," Gabriella said full of wonder.

Taylor laughed trying to lighten the mood. "What's so great about a business card? Everyone has them. And he is a businessman if you think about. He's bound to have a few lying around." Gabriella continued to stare at the tiny piece of paper like it was from another world. "What's the big deal?" Taylor asked again. Gabriella handed her the card and she read:

__

**__**

The Date Doctor

  
For Your Prescription in Love, Call:  
(505)639-3283 (505) NEW-DATE

"Someone's got some explaining to do," Taylor said handing the card back to Gabriella. "What are you going to do?"

Gabriella sat staring at the card for the remainder of the ride and when they pulled into Taylor's driveway she finally looked up and said, "Can I use your phone? My cell died."

"Course," Taylor said nervously. "Then we'll talk?"

Gabriella nodded and walked into the house as Taylor got her bags out the car. In the house Gabriella grabbed the cordless phone and dialed the number listed on the card. He heart raced as she listened to the dial tone on the line. What was she gong to say? How would talking to him, or her, help? Had Ryan called this person? Why would he call The Date Doctor? Then someone picked up the phone on the other line, she heart stopped and she knew that what she wanted were answers. Would The Date Doctor be able to answer them?

"Whatever you want Chad, I'm sure that you can come right outside and tell me what it is," the voice on the other end chuckled. Gabriella hung up and threw the phone across the room like it had just caught on fire. Had she dialed the wrong number? That had to be it, she reassured herself. This was all a mistake. It couldn't be... her mind refused to accept that possibility. But then again... Gabriella grabbed the phone and quickly redialed the number, triple checking it for accuracy. It was the right number, she was positive this time. She pressed send and sat down as it began to ring.

"Chad, where are you?" the voice said. There was a slight echo and Gabriella stood.

"Hello?" she squeaked.

There was silence on the other line. "Hello?" he answered. "Who is this?" Gabriella followed the echo to the kitchen and stared at the figure leaning against the island. She hung up and watched him glance at his cell in confusion. "Weird," he whispered as he turned to walk out the door. He stopped short when she appeared in his peripheral vision.

Gabriella's breath caught as he slowly turned towards her. "Troy?"

He blinked a few times, rubbed his eyes, and then blinked again. "You're still here," he whispered.

"So are you," she smiled.

Chad and Taylor rushed into the room. "Hey Gabriella I see you've met Troy."

"NOOOO!!!!" Chad cried. "I'm so sorry Troy, I tried." He collapsed into a chair and laid his head on the counter. "Fate's just too smart for me."

The scene finally seemed to sink in and the realization dawned on Troy. He groaned and buried his face in his fists. "Chad didn't call me, you did," he said out loud.

"No I didn't," Taylor answered confusedly.

"Not you," Troy said pointing at Taylor, "...you." he whispered turning towards Gabriella. She stared back at him trying to read the million emotions in his eyes. Trying to pick out which ones were because of her. But she didn't have a chance before Taylor pulled her aside.

"What's going on Gabs? How do you know Troy?" Taylor questioned.

"That's a long story, but the most recent addition is that Troy is The Date Doctor. Albuquerque's own Bolting Bolton is in charge of setting up people with their soul mates. Lord help us all. Especially considering his track record," she said bitterly.

Troy stepped forward to defend himself but Chad spoke first. "Hey Gabs, be nice. He's good at his job. I mean, Tay and I have been together for six years and we're..."

"WHAT!!!" Taylor screeched. Chad, suddenly realizing what he had just said, shut up and backed away. For once, he didn't even trying to fix what he'd just said.

The air in the room, which had been getting thinner and thinner since the discovery, seemed to have completely evaporated and no one uttered a word. A dropped pin would have been like a fog horn and when someone finally spoke, everyone jumped.

"I think you need to call Ryan, Gabriella. I think it's time we all get some things straightened out. I'm going to order a pizza and take Jamie over to his Aunt's. Nobody leave," Taylor whispered and walked out of the room.

Nobody followed.

* * *

**A/N- Happy New Year!**


	8. Make Lies Not War

**Make Lies Not War**

You know that awkward silence that sweeps through a room when a little kid posts an uncomfortable question to a parent- and everyone's all tense until someone starts laughing and shoos the kid away? Well, the tensity of Danforths' living room as the five fabian friends waited for someone to break the silence was neither similar nor as easily erased as the previously given example. In fact, the example is completely irrelevant to the situation in every way except that it explains how Chad approached the scenario. He acted as though Troy's involvement and his and Ryan's transgressions were just like the little kid's and tried to be the one to clear away the feelings of unease.

He began with annoying comments like, "So how's everyone been lately?" and then moved onto, "It's so nice that everyone could come over tonight so that we could all just stare at each other," -anything to get a response. In his opinion, even a threat or eye roll would be welcome at this point. It'd been over an hour since the catastrophic unveiling and no one, besides Chad, had said a word. There was nothing but a chilling silence.

Chad couldn't take it anymore. "Alright everyone," he announced, "listen good and listen now. We all like each other, am I right? Course I'm right. The only reason we're here is to answer a few questions and work through some problems in a group environment which will discourage fellow members from harming other members; people are less likely to commit murder with so many witnesses. Anyway, here's what we're going to do... No Taylor, I'm taking care of this," Chad snapped as Taylor opened her mouth to speak. She quickly backed off and he continued, "Troy is going to tell us about his part in all this, questions can be asked and must be answered. Everyone must by honest and keep their cool at all times. After that 'couples' can talk through whatever. Troy at that time you can do whatever you want/ need to do but don't leave. We'll reconvene and them go our separate ways. Agreed?"

Everyone nodded, slightly awed by Chad's monologue.

"Good," Chad said approvingly and nodded to Troy to begin.

Taking a deep breath, Troy turned to look up at the ceiling, as though staring at the swirling white paint and bright lights would miraculously give him an idea of what to say. He turned his focus back to his hands which were resting in his lap and settled into his chair. "I don't what to say," he admitted in a small voice.

"It's ok," Gabriella whispered encouragingly.

Troy's head shot up and it took Gabriella a second to realize that he hadn't meant to say that out loud.

"Just start from the beginning," Taylor suggested. "We already know that you, Chad, and Gabriella were best friends in high school..."

"-We know what now?" Ryan gaped.

"Ryan," Gabriella said, "Troy, Chad, and I were friends in high school. Troy and I dated... briefly." She glanced at Troy to measure his reaction but his face was blank. Turning back to Taylor she said, "Now we're all caught up, please continue."

"Thank you Gabriella," Taylor nodded. "Now, as I was saying, we all know that Chad, Troy, and Gabriella went to school together and that Troy and Gabriella..." Taylor stopped mid sentence as the realization hit her. "Wait a minute," she said turning to Troy and Gabriella. "You two dated? As in, were a couple. Meaning that not only were you, Troy, trying to trick a woman into thinking she'd found her soul mate, but you were also tricking you're high school girlfriend as well? On top of that, the only boyfriend Gabi had back then turned out to be a complete jerk. So if that was you, I have to ask: What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Taylor don't," Gabriella begged, but there was no stopping her.

"Don't you think you did enough damage to her back then? Now you have to ruin her life all over again? You are certainly not the man I thought you were Troy Alexander Bolton."

"Excuse me?" Troy snapped. "I was just doing my job. Ryan came to **_me_. He asked me to help, and that's what I did. You're acting like this is all a part of my diabolical plan to break her heart. It's not like that. I never wanted to hurt her."**

"And yet here we are," Taylor remarked. "Just like seven years ago."

"Hey, this is a safe speaking environment. Put away the claws ladies," Chad shouted.

"YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HAPPENED SEVEN YEARS AGO!" Troy yelled.

"You're right. I don't know because she was too torn about what you did to even think about it, let alone tell her best friend," Taylor sniped smoothly.

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT!! She's the one that left," Troy choked out as though the words were strangling him. "And now it's my turn." He turned to walk out the back when Chad cleared his throat. Troy turned to look and his friend and seemed to second guess his decision. "I'll just sit in the kitchen I guess," Troy half asked. Chad nodded and everyone watched as Troy staggered into the adjoining room.

Chad cleared his throat to pull the focus back to him. "And on that note, Tay can we talk?" Taylor nodded distantly, as though her thoughts were elsewhere. Chad motioned for Gabriella and Ryan to give them some privacy. They obliged and awkwardly moved across the room towards the front wall.

The wall was covered, floor to ceiling, in windows varying in shape and size. Gabriella situated herself by one shaped as a arc which had a view of the rose garden out front. They could hear bits of what Chad and Taylor were whispering, but they remained silent. Ryan knew that he should be the one to break the silence. He knew that he needed to apologize. But everytime he tried to say something, he'd catch a glimpse of tears rolling down her cheeks, and the words would get stuck in his throat.

"Ah Little Rose- how easy for such as thee," Gabriella whispered quoting one of her favorite poets.

"Gabriella," Ryan started. "I should tell you that I..."

"... know who that is?" Gabriella asked.

Ryan stopped, startled by the interruption. "Who? What?" he asked mystified. Gabriella just stared out the little arc shaped window. Ryan followed her gaze and they watched as a little brunette got out of her and car and walked up to the Danforths' door.

Before the doorbell rang Troy ran into the room shouting, "I got it, I got it. Ignore me. Keep talking." He quickly pulled the protesting female behind him and into the kitchen.

Ryan laughed as he watched the scene but when turned back to Gabriella, he noticed something was... different. "Gabriella?" he asked worriedly. She didn't respond again, just stared into space, lost in a memory.

__

"Troy you owe me BIG time!" she muttered as she tottered through the gravel towards the big white house. She almost fell twice before safely reaching the concrete pathway which led to porch. Reaching the stairs she took out a compact and checked her reflection. She looked like she'd just left drama practice, sped home, changed into the first dress she'd found, thrown up her hair, and driven a distance, which usually takes three hours to travel, in just one hour. Which, in all honesty, was exactly what she'd just done. He'd called her while she was in practice and after a few short words, had convinced her drive one hundred miles to his family reunion to "save his sanity and brain cells from committing suicide." All the same, she didn't want to look like it'd been a last minute thing!

She tried to smooth out her dress and hair as she stepped onto the porch, trying to look halfway decent before ringing the bell and meeting his family. This was something she'd been waiting for. It was a sign that he was interested in her. A sign that the "more than friends" stage was possible. He'd once told her that before he put too much thought into dating someone, he always took her to meet his family. "If she can deal with them, she can deal with me."

And now, she was here. She'd been thinking about this day since he'd told her about the whole "intro to the family" thing. But she'd never once imagined it quite like this. In any case, she wanted to look good, but she didn't really get the chance to primp because as soon as she took and step towards the door, it swung open and a figure pulled her into an embrace. "God Gabs. You rock. You rock hardcore!" Troy gasped as he squeezed the air from her lungs.

"No prob Wildcat," she managed to choke out. "Can you let go. You're crushing me, crushing me hardcore," she giggled mockingly. He was always adding "hardcore" to everything and she couldn't **not** make fun of him for it. He just rolled his eyes and grinned his gazillion watt smile.

"Troooyy..." someone inside yelled, "are you going to bring your friend in to see us or are you just going to make the poor thing stand outside and talk to you?"

Troy turned pale and inhaled an exaggeratedly long breath. "Brace yourself soldier, we're goin' in," he said. Then he ducked back into the house, leaving Gabriella laughing on the porch. He returned seconds later when she didn't follow him in and pulled her inside. He'd dragged her through the house expertly avoiding everyone without actually looking like it was entirely on purpose. Like: "Oohhh I didn't show you the painting in this room" or "There's some expertly installed tile in the bathroom, I should show it to you." Never said subtlety was one of his strengths.

Later that night, while he was driving her home in her car (he lived next door so it wasn't like he'd have to walk far), he'd turned to her, his eyes sparkling and said, "Can I ask you something?"

Her heart had started pounding so hard, she was sure he could hear, but she'd stayed cool and said, "Always."

She'd looked up at him with bright, hopeful eyes. Anxiously waiting for the words. He turned back to her smiling, opened his mouth to speak, and then he went blank. He turned his attention back to the road and stammered, "Can I have some gum?"

"That depends," she'd said through squinted eyes.

This surprised him. "On what?" he asked, still not looking at her.

"On what you were really going to ask me," she said matter-of-factly.

"Do you really want to know?" he asked seriously.

"Yea," Gabriella said, "Why wouldn't I?" He suddenly veered off the road and started driving up a steep, dirt road. "What are you doing!?" she screamed alarmed. "Here take the gum," she said throwing a piece at him.

He grinned and plopped the gum his mouth and kept driving like a maniac. And just as suddenly as it'd begun, it ended. "Come on," he said putting the truck in park.

"What are we doing here Troy?"

"I want this to be something you won't forget," he said taking her hand and leading her into the woods. They'd been walking for what seemed like an eternity when tiny lights started to become visible. Troy motioned Gabriella forward. She waked towards them nervously and gasped when she discovered what she was looking at.

"Is that Albuquerque?" she gaped.

"Yep. Cool huh?"

"Cool? It's amazing!" she cried. The city was spread out below them as a random array of multicolored lights. The background was made up of millions of stars surrounding a bright moon. It was a sight she'd never forget. Especially since at that moment, Troy leaned down and whispered the most perfect question in her ear...

"Gabriella, you still there?"

Her head shot up. "What?" she asked. "Oh right, yea I'm.... fine," she murmured as she was thrown back into reality.

Ryan looked down at his shoes. He wasn't a mind reader, but by the way she was gazing longingly at the kitchen, he knew that he wasn't the one she was daydreaming about. He turned away, disgusted with himself. He was no match for Troy Bolton even on his best day. Add the forever bond of first love into the mix and stick a fork in him, he's done. If only there was a way to convince her that he was the better choice. He stared out the window and a certain white car caught his attention. He couldn't. Could he?

Stealing a glance at Gabriella he took in her heartbroken eyes and knew it wouldn't be too hard to convince her. He knew he really cared about her. He never would have gone through all this if he didn't. He had money, enough to give whatever she wanted. They had so much in common. She'd be happy with him. He would make her happy. He would never do anything hurt her, at least not after this.

He walked over to where she was spying through the open door leading to the kitchen. Troy and the girl were talking excitedly, like they were making plans. He kept saying things to make her laugh and she punched him playfully. He ran his fingers through his hair and laughed along.

They were still talking when Gabriella turned to him and asked, "Do you know who she is? I saw them together at the coffee shop. They were so happy," she whispered. She wiped her eyes before continuing, "I just don't know who she is. Do you know her name?"

Ryan nodded. "Her name's Kelsi. I think they went to school together. They're always talking about the 'old times' and that sort of thing." That much at least wasn't a lie, but he still felt guilty. He knew that the way he'd just said that had made it seem like Troy and Kelsi were together. Which they were, but not in a romantic way. He'd just deceived Gabriella. Sweet little Gabi. And by the look on her face, he knew she believed him.

Sighing, Gabriella retrieved her purse and returned to Ryan. "I think I'm going to go home. It's been a long day. Can we do lunch tomorrow?" she asked sadly.

Ryan raised his eyebrows. "Really?"

"Yeah," she answered. "I want this to work out. The whole you and me thing is good. I like being with you Ryan and I'd miss you if went away."

Ryan stared at his shoes, it was working. He stomach knotted up but he ignored it. "I like being with you too," he smiled. "How's Millie's? Noon?"

Gabriella nodded and quickly shouted a goodbye to Taylor. Without waiting for a confirmation that Taylor had heard her, Gabriella allowed Ryan to lead her outside and help her into his car. The ride back to house was quiet, but comfortable. She laced her fingers with his and smiled up at him. She was going to make things work with Ryan. Troy had moved on, now she would move on with Ryan. As he pulled up to her apartment building and parked in the fire lane. He ran around to her side and helped her out. Gabriella closed the door behind her and he pulled her into an embrace. "Thank you," he whispered and turned to walk away.

Without thinking, Gabriella grabbed his hand and pulled him back. "Stay," was all she said. She handed a maintenance man Ryan's keys and a twenty and led him towards the elevator. Her mind was blank as she led him down the hall and into her room. It wasn't until she'd closed and locked the door behind her and felt Ryan's lips on hers that she thought about anything. And it wasn't what she expected to think. The thought wasn't the one that had originally plagued her when this idea had first popped into her head: the reason she'd kept her mind blank on the way up. Instead it was, "Didn't I drive to Taylor's today?"

* * *

**A/N: Sorry, thought I'd finished this chpt. my bad. i'm a scatterbrain. lol... thnx alexnoelle!!!!**


	9. Check Please

**Check Please**

Gabriella rested against the back of the booth and smiled serenely. She plopped another éclair into her mouth and took in the decor. With it's French cuisine, drinks, and style, Minnie's sort of stood out in Albuquerque. It was also extremely expensive and therefore the meeting place for the town's elite. And for the last few months, it'd been Ryan and Gabriella's Sunday brunch spot. Taking a bite out of a chocolate covered strawberry, Gabriella laid her head on Ryan's shoulder and listened to him talk excitedly about his troupe's next project.

"We're working on a way to have fireworks, mini ones at least, exploding throughout the theatre. We have to work with the fire chief and get a ton of permits and posters warning the public about the fire hazards, but it's going to be amazing!!! The sets are being shipped in from South America and will just need a few touch-ups when they arrive but other than that.... Oh and the costumes. Oh the costumes!!!! They are just AMAZING!!! Christo has just totally outdone himself this time. He showed me this sketch he's done for this one dress for Monica... wow! It has feathers, sequins, and a TON of silk. It's going to be tricky but when it's done... Wow. You're going to be in awe Ella. Really!"

"Can't wait," she said sweetly.

Ryan beamed back at her before launching into another description of the play. "The plot...." he began.

Gabriella traced the lines on his palm as she half-listened to his ramblings. It wasn't that she didn't like listening to him talk about his work, but work was _all_ he talked about. She loved all the stories about star-crossed lovers who defy all odds and live happily ever after as much as the next person, but seriously.... listening to it all the time took away some of the attraction and romanticism. She wished she could just ask him to change the subject, but she couldn't. What if it made him upset? She couldn't afford to lose him now. He was her last chance.

So instead, Gabriella focused on the cute little pastries, the array of candles, and intricacy of the wall hangings, at least until a voice pulled her back to reality.

"Gabriella, did you hear me?"

"What?" she asked innocently as she finished off the strawberry in her hand.

"Um... Did you hear what I asked you?" Ryan said nervously. Gabriella shook her head guiltily. He waited until she swallowed and cleared his throat, "I said... I was wondering.... I mean... It's just that... We're happy together right?" She nodded and gazed at him curiously. "Yea, well... that's good. Um... and we're comfortable together right? Like, you like being with me and everything?"

Gabriella smiled. "Ryan," she said wrapping her arm around his and cuddling up to him, "of course we're happy and comfortable together. How could we not be? We're good together. I think we're going to stay that way for a while." Ryan seemed to relax at the last comment but kept fidgeting. Gabriella took his hand and immediately pulled back. "Are you sweating?" she giggled as she wiped her hands on his sleeves. Ryan didn't laugh and Gabriella's head shot up. "You are! Ryan what's wrong?" she panicked.

"Nnnothing," he stuttered as he wrung his hands. "It's just that..."

"Yes?" she pushed.

"I wanted to ask if you..."

"Uh-huh..."

"We'vebeendatingforawhileandIknowithasn'treallybeenallthatlongofatimebutIknowthatIloveyouanddon'twanttospendmylifewithanyoneelsesowillyoumarrymeGabriellaMontez?"

Gabriella's jaw dropped to the floor. "Did you just ask me to marry you?" she said.

Ryan breathed and calmly responded with, "Well... I want to know if you'll eventually marry me. Like I said, I know we haven't really known each other very long but... I love you Gabriella Montez and I..." He stopped when Gabriella, who'd been whispering OH MY GOD for the entire speech, finally pulled him into a kiss.

Tears rolled down her eyes as she said....

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"You said WHAT?" Taylor screeched.

"Yes! I said YES!! Oh Tay, isn't if fabulous?" Gabriella gushed.

"So not the word I would use at this point," Taylor retorted.

"I know right," Gabriella said, obviously oblivious to her friend's response. "I mean, when he first asked I was totally in shock. We brunch at Minnie's every Sunday, see each other almost every night, and have dinner together two or three times a week, and the conversation of marriage has never come up. But today he just went into this whole thing about never wanting to be with anyone else and how we're happy together and it was so sweet and romantic. It was like something from a movie. Then he asked me to marry him and I SAID YES!!! It's so perfect," she said dreamily.

"No it's not!" Taylor snapped.

This time Taylor's words registered and Gabriella's face dropped. "What do you mean. I'm getting married! How isn't this the most perfect day of my life?" she asked injured.

"Because you don't love Ryan," Taylor stated. "You can't love anyone...."

"What's that suppose to mean? You think I'm heartless?" Gabriella snapped angrily.

"You didn't let me finish," Taylor said calmly. Gabriella sat back hesitantly and Taylor continued. "As I was saying, you can't love anyone _until_ you talk to Troy."

"WHAT?" Gabriella cried out. A few diners around them turned to look but Taylor shooed them away. "What does he have to do with anything?"

"You two never had any closure. You never had a chance to talk about why you broke-up." Gabriella turned away, obviously pained by the reminder. "You see," Taylor added. "Just my mentioning it makes you cringe. You're always going to wonder about Troy and what happened between you two until you guys talk it through."

"Not all of us need to talk with someone to figure out how to be in love," Gabriella said coldly. Taylor looked as though she'd just been slapped across the face. Upon seeing this, Gabriella lowered her eyes guiltily. "Taylor I didn't mean that. I know you and Chad had to work things out and the counseling..."

"No Gabriella. Don't bother apologizing for that. I forgive you. I know how to take the truth. It's time you learn too," Taylor insisted.

"What do you mean? I'm not talking to Troy," she argued.

"Gabriella..."

"No Taylor. I won't do it!"

"Why not?" Taylor pushed.

"Because I have nothing to say to him!"

"I think it's because you're afraid," Taylor pressed

"Check!" Gabriella ordered.

"I think you won't talk to Troy because you still have feelings for him."

"Check!"

"Ryan was suppose to replace Troy, but he can't can he?" Taylor continued.

"Waiter?" Gabriella said on the verge of tears.

"You like Ryan but he's just reminds you of Troy," Taylor whispered. Gabriella rested he elbows on the table and placed her head in her hands. "The only reason you dated Ryan to begin with was to get back at Troy. And now you're staying with Ryan with the same reason. You figure that if you don't have Troy, at least you can have a reminder of him. At least you'll have Ryan. And you know it'll eat Troy up inside to see that. He'll feel the same pain you feel everyday because he lost you and it was all his fault."

"Stop," she begged.

"Then tell me I'm wrong Taylor challenged.

"I can't," Gabriella choked. "Just stop. Alright? You're right. I admit it," she sniffled taking the check from the waiter. "I still have feelings for Troy, and this was all a ploy to get him back. It was stupid... oh was it stupid... but it's done now. Troy's gone now and there's nothing I can do about it. I'll never get him back. So you know what? I'm going to be with RYAN. RYAN and I are very happy together."

"Oh please," Taylor scoffed. "You don't seriously believe that Ryan doesn't know exactly what's going on? You don't think he has his own agenda? You don't think he's lied to you? Don't be stupid Gabriella!"

"NO!!" she yelled. She snatched her credit card back from the waiter and gathered up her things. "Ryan love's me and I'm going to marry him and have a fairy tale ending. I'm not going to see, speak, or so much as think of... _him_.... again. And if you can't be happy and supportive of my decision," Gabriella stated as she stood to leave, "then I don't want or need you in my life. Goodbye Taylor," she said.

As Gabriella walked out of the restaurant, all eyes were on her. A few people turned their questioning gazes towards Taylor, wondering what she'd said to make her friend snap like that. But Taylor just turned to the waiter and said, "Did you record our conversation like I asked?" The man reached under the table and handed her a tiny device with a built-in mic. "Perfect!" Taylor smiled. "Check please."


	10. Motives and Actions

**A/N- Alright, it's been a while since I've updated so let's do a quick catch up. If you remember, there was this sort of meltdown when the gang discovered that Troy was the "Date Doctor." Gabriella sees Troy and Kelsi together and thinks they're together and gets closer to Ryan as revenge. 3 months later he proposes, she accepts and tells Taylor who freaks. She doesn't think Gabriella has had closure and needs to talk to Troy to get over their past before moving on. Gabriella refuses and leaves after revealing her true feelings for Troy which Taylor records. Now on the same day.....

* * *

**

**Motives and Actions**

Taylor smiled victoriously as she strutted out of the restaurant. She felt a little guilty about what she was doing, but her friends were too stubborn for their own good. They needed her help to work things, otherwise neither of them were going to have a chance at happiness. They'd been dwelling on the past for too long. Something had to be done and Taylor was the someone who had to do it.

As she drove home, her text tone went off. Chad, wanting to know how things went. She sent him a quick reply. Five seconds later the cell bleeped again. -Love you, the message read. Taylor smiled and closed the phone. It was true what Gabriella had said, they **had **been having trouble lately. After the "catastrophe," they'd had to work through some trust issues, but the workshops their counselor had suggested were really helping them out. In the end, Taylor was sure, their relationship would recover and be stronger than ever.

It amazed her how much "just talking" had helped. They'd even solved issues they hadn't even known they'd had! And Taylor desperately wanted to help Troy and Gabriella find the same kind of peace she and Chad had found. ASAP. Especially if Gabriella and Ryan were going to get married! She didn't want her friend to make that big of a commitment based on revenge, bitterness, and avoidance. It wasn't healthy. She knew that eventually Gabriella would snap out of this...... funk. And when she did, Taylor didn't want her to find that her entire life was centered around her biggest regret and mistake. That was the kind of thing that led to sad lifetime movie plotlines and nobody wants that for their friend.

But she wasn't just doing this for Gabriella, there was another person involved. Troy. At this point, Taylor couldn't tell who was worse off. The adamantly, blind future bride or the man who'd turned into a shell of his former self. He'd been slowly falling apart since that faithful day three months ago. He'd started taking less and less cases. In the last few, he'd only succeeded because fate had taken pity and let the couples be together, against it's better judgment, for Troy's case. He really was a sorry excuse of a man these days. If not for Chad's intense vehemence on the subject, Taylor would have had him committed. But after an eye-opening argument about his past, Taylor understood why he couldn't allow that to happen to his friend. So he was living in their guest room where Chad and friend of Troy's - Kelsi was it?- took care of him.

It'd all started when Chad got an invitation to an old friends' wedding. The groom had played basketball with Chad and Troy and was marrying his high school sweetheart. Taylor had had a work thing the day of the occasion and couldn't attend. So, in an attempt to bring him out of his mysterious despondency, Chad had dragged Troy along instead. He'd assumed that it was just a mid-life, my life's in a rut, I'm bored with my life, thing. But it soon became very obvious that that was not the case at all, and that the cause was more closely related to the heart. All through the ceremony, Troy could be seen clenching and unclenching his fists and jaws. Afterwards he'd lapsed into pacing back and forth in the church's lobby, obviously agitated. By the reception people began to whisper about his disturbing behavior and alcohol intake. Then, when the best man began to toast the couple, he snapped.

Chad had been vague about the details of the breakdown of his friend but Taylor could tell by the haunted look in his eyes that the incident had been uglier than he let on. Taylor had gotten Chad to reveal that the couple had started dating the same time as Troy and Gabriella. Everyone had thought that they would break up and Troy and Gabriella would be the ones to get married. He figured that irony had probably gotten to him; it was all just bad timing.

After that, Troy had taken to locking himself in any room with a lock and staying there until bothered to move. Then he'd started to hide and stopped answering when called for. Finally he'd ceased moving and responding at all. Only by mistake had they come across a solution for the problem. While messing with the TV trying to play an old VHS tape (the only VHS player being in the guest room), they came across an old recording of Troy and Chad as teens. They were listening to a rap song and making up their own lyrics. Then out of nowhere a younger Gabriella jumped into the frame and joined in. The video seemed to temporarily bring back some of Troy and in his few moments of consciousness, Chad got him to talk enough to determine that the whole "collapse" was just his friend's way of dealing with all the past pain he'd been bottling up. He could tell that until he let it out or worked through it, there was no hope of Troy getting better.

So Taylor and Chad came up with a plan to get Troy and Gabriella to talk. The easiest way would be to tell Gabriella about Troy's condition. They both knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't hesitate to mend things up if she knew. The only problem was that, presently, there were no guarantees that Gabriella would be able to get through to Troy. The videos were the only way they knew how to bring him out and they didn't always work. Sometimes he could only see, sometimes hear. Only very rarely could he talk and in those cases, the chances of him actually saying something relevant, or that made sense, were even slimmer. They couldn't expect Gabriella to sit around the house for weeks, waiting for him to be coherent for a few seconds before relapsing. No, they had another idea.

Chad had said that Troy had always had this "hero complex;" that was how he'd met Gabriella. According to Chad, he and Troy had been sitting in the park when a girl had run past them, almost knocking them over. She'd been out of breath and Troy had kept asking Chad if he thought she looked upset. It had really bothered him that something might be wrong with her. Chad had said that she looked fine and had gone back to trying to convince Troy to go to a party with him that night. But Troy had ignored him and continued to watch the girl. As she was walking away, he'd stood and muttered something about her being in trouble and taken off running across the park. Chad had watched as she'd fallen into the pond without resurfacing. Chad proudly recounted how his friend had plunged in, pulled her out, given her CPR, and, ultimately, saved her life. And now, they were going to try to resurrect the heroic Troy. They hypothesized that if they could convince him that Gabriella was in trouble, he'd return to them enough for them to better help him heal. They didn't expect a full recovery, but consciousness for any amount of time would be nice.

So they hooked up the recorder, set the track on replay, and pressed play. "Just stop. Alright? You're right. I admit it," said a sniffly voice, Gabriella. "I still have feelings for Troy, and this was all a ploy to get him back. It was stupid... oh was it stupid... but it's done now. Troy's gone now and there's nothing I can do about it. I'll never get him back. So you know what? I'm going to be with RYAN. RYAN and I are very happy together."

"Do you hear that Troy?" Taylor whispered. "She's giving up. She's settling. She's going to marry someone she doesn't love because your too wrapped up in yourself to do anything about it," she said, now at almost shouting level. "Come on Troy!" she cried.

"Let's go Tay," Chad said warmly. "We'll give it some time to sink in alright." Taylor nodded and allowed herself to be led out of the room.

As the door closed, a pair of eyes flickered open. "Gabriella?"

****

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

"The show is going to be amazing Ry, really!" Gabriella gushed as they walked out of the theatre.

"Thanks," Ryan said halfheartedly.

"Oh sweetie," she cooed, "are you still upset about the Brazilian influence on the costumes? I thought they looked great!"

"It's not the outfits!" he snapped. He sighed as he took in her hurt expression and softened his tone. "I'm sorry," he whispered as he ran his fingers through her hair. "It's just...." he looked down, searching for words.

"What?" she asked.

He shook his head and turned away. "Don't worry about it. I'll walk you to your car."

"Ryan!" she exclaimed pulling back on his hand. "No! Look at me!" She cupped his face in her hands and looked at him. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Gabi..."

"Please," she begged, "trust me."

Ryan took a deep breath and sighed. "Are we okay?"

Gabriella stepped back in shock. "Of course we are. Why wouldn't we be?" she squeaked. The conversation she'd had with Taylor earlier that day floated into her mind. Was it really that obvious?

"It's just that... it seems like your heart is elsewhere."

Gabriella's eyes teared up. Taylor was right! The only reason she was with Ryan was to keep a piece of Troy around. there was no chance she'd ever get him back, she couldn't lose Ryan too! She looked up at him with a fierce intensity in her eyes and poured her heart into the next few words. "I'm with you! I'm all about you! It's me and you," she said, emphasizing each _you_. "I love you."

It wasn't until she looked into Ryan's wide eyes that she realized what she'd just said. She'd never told him that before. Actually she could never recall using the words love and Ryan in the same sentence. Why had she just said it now? But she didn't worry too much because of the way Ryan's eyes were sparkling. He kissed as she got into the car and waved her off with a smile. So what if she'd lied? So what if she's never lied before in her life. Really lied! He was content and would stay with her. That was all that mattered.

She purred as she thought about a certain pair of blue eyes. The memory of them still brought a wash of pain, but in felt good and familiar now. She was suddenly pulled out of the reverie by a figure hunched over the side of the bridge. Gabriella swerved to the lane closet to the figure and ran to the person's side.

"Are you alright?" she shouted. The figure tried to turn and fell to the ground. Without a thought she ran over to help. Leaning down she rested a hand the a man's, up close it was obviously a man, shoulder. "It's going to be okay. Are you hurt? How can I help you?" He was sopping wet even though it hadn't rained in a month. He was dirty, cold, and shaking. He looked so lost, it broke her heart. "Poor dear, hear let me help you," she said wiping hair out of his face. Suddenly, all the air rushed out of her lungs as brown met blue: sweet, sparkling, sapphire blue. "Troy?"

The eyes danced at the recognition and a smile lit up his pale face. "Gabriella."

* * *

A/N- I had to end with a little fluff.... this chappy seemed kind of heavy. Funny how this story started as a comedy. Now its a drama. Not sure how that happened but.... hope you like it... I've got the rest planned out so, and I know you've heard it before, but I should be finishing this story soon. Sorry it's been a while but I hit a dead end and lost all interest in the creative world. Anyway, tell me what you think. Love to hear from you. Thanks for reading!!!!!


	11. Not Everything Changes

**Not Everything Changes**

People stared and whispered as the tiny brunette tried to lead the dirty, semi-conscious, barely upright, sopping wet man towards the elevator. "Come on Troy! Work with me here," she muttered. He responded with a grunt and stood a little straighter but that was it. Finally, reaching the doors, she leaned him against the wall and pressed the up arrow.

"What was I thinking?" she groaned aloud. Was he drunk, high, totally nuts. Something was wrong, she knew that much, but what was it? It's not like she could just ask him. On the twenty minute ride back to her apartment he'd turned into Zombie-Troy. She knew then that she couldn't just take him to his house, not that she'd planned to do that to begin with. This was the perfect opportunity for her to get some answers out of him, while his guard was down. She knew it was wrong, but she deserved to know didn't she?

"I deserve this much," she huffed. Then, behind her, something fell to the ground with a thud; it was Troy of course. "UGH," she sighed as she grabbed his feet and drug him into the elevator.

"Oww," a voice complained. Gabriella's head shot up to see the doors trying to close on his head. "Oops," she giggled pulling him farther into the room. "You know you could have just asked me to get up," he chuckled rubbing his bruised skull.

"Probably," she shrugged.

Troy laughed. "You really haven't changed have you?" he smiled.

"We've both changed Troy," she sighed. "Everyone changes."

"But not everything," he added with emphasis on the last syllable.

"No, not everything," she agreed as she slid down the wall to sit by him. They stayed that way for a few minutes. It was nice to just sit there in the silence. It was a soothing, relaxing, and companionable silence that neither one wanted to break it. But a question hung in the air that was bugging Troy.

When it got to be too much, he looked over at her a said, "Gabriella?" She gave him a nod to continue. "What floor do you live on?"

It seemed like a weird question to her but she answered, "The third." When he didn't say anything else she asked, "Why?"

"Doesn't it seem weird to you that we've been in here," he checked his watch, "for three minutes and twenty-six seconds when you only live on the third floor?" The air left the tiny room as both pairs of eyes flew to the control panel. It flashing and a was making a now very noticeable clicking sound.

"Please tell me it's suppose to do that," Troy groaned.

"I wish I could," Gabriella said.

Pause

"Got a cell phone?" he asked.

"Left it in the car. You?"

"Threw it off a roof."

"Great, so we're stuck," she said.

"Seems that way," he agreed. After another pause he added, "How many people use this elevator?"

"There's only three floors to the building Troy, we're in Albuquerque remember. No one needs to use the slow, lazy, stupid elevators. Not when there are stairs!" she huffed.

"So we're pretty much screwed?" he asked nonchalantly.

Gabriella choked back a sob, "Pretty much," she said, and covered her face with her hands. After a moment of quiet sobbing she asked, "What are we going to do?".

Another moment of silence ensued as Troy seemed to think it over. Finally, he broke the silence with, "We'll talk. I'll start. After I graduated from East High, Chad and I went off to U of A....."

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S GONE? WHERE COULD HE BE?" Kelsi screamed as she ran towards the closet. Grabbing clothes out by the handful she looked for the missing body. "Five hours ago, he was practically comatose and now you tell me he's gone?" she yelled. Giving up on any hope of finding him in the closet she moved on to the bathroom.

"I'm telling you Kelsi, I looked everywhere. I can't find him. Nothing's missing either!"

"Just Troy," she fired back as she stormed into the hall.

"Yeah well there's that," Chad admitted. "But get this! This might be good news!" he said excitedly.

"Good news," she retorted. "How is this GOOD NEWS? This is TERRIBLE news. WE LOST TROY BOLTON! HOW COULD ANYONE THINK OF THAT AS GOOD NEWS???"

"I think I know where his is!"

"What? Where?" she demanded. "Did you check there? And why did you call me at 11:42 PM to say you lost Troy if you know where he is?" Kelsi sighed exasperatedly.

"Because I don't know where she is," Chad said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Don't know where who is? Why does she matter? Why would he go after her? Why now?" Kelsi badgered.

"Gabriella. Gabriella Montez. They used to date in high school. Their break-up was the cause of his psychosis," Chad said smoothly. Kelsi's jaw dropped. "What?" Chad said innocently. "That's what Taylor said."

Kelsi recovered from her shock and turned towards the study, "You said her name was Gabriella Montez?" Chad nodded. "Great I'll Google her. Have you told Taylor?"

"Yeah, she's out looking for him on the streets."

"Good, call and tell her we're going to track down Gabriella. See if she knows anything." Chad nodded and ran off call Taylor. "Love, what a crazy crazy thing it is," Kelsi murmured as she typed in the name and pressed search.

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Troy leaned back against the wall and looked up at the ceiling as he tried to catch his breath. Beside him a certain brunette was still shaking with laughter. "That's just one of those scenarios that only you and Chad could get yourselves into," she giggled wiping a tear from her eye.

"According to Chad, those mooses had it coming," Troy replied.

"Troy, you know that the plural of moose is moose right?" Gabriella asked worriedly.

Troy gave her a confused look. "Didn't you hear me? I said according to Chad." The two both dissolved into another fit of doubled-over, side-splitting, cheek-aching laughter. "Alright your turn," Troy said sitting back up. "What have you been up to? "Gabriella looked down at her hands and twiddled her thumbs. "Don't get all shy on me now," Troy said in a half-laugh, trying to make her feel more at ease.

"Why would you think I was..."

"Your thumbs. You always twiddle your thumbs when you're nervous or self-conscious. It's your tell," he said casually.

"Oh!" she said in mild awe. "I never noticed that before. How did you..."

Troy sighed angrily. "Some on Brie, give me some credit! We used to know each other pretty well," he said.

Gabriella's eyes brightened at the nickname. "You called me Brie! I haven't heard that name since..." They both turned away at the uncomfortable memory and fidgeted nervously. "But that's not important," she coughed uneasily. "Anyway, after East High I moved in with my Dad in New York and finished school there. After graduation I moved to California to attend Berkeley and majored in music and composition and all that jazz. Pun intended. I got hired right out of school to play in an orchestra. I traveled around with them a little while and somehow found my way back to Albuquerque. Sadly, that's my life pretty much my entire life in a nut shell."

"You make your music career seem like no big deal, I saw the reviews critics did on you...Brie.... you were good. No, phenomenal is more like it. Even the toughest, meanest critics were in love with your playing. Why'd you stop?" He felt her questioning gaze on him and added, "I did some research on you while I was trying to set you up with Ryan."

Gabriella nodded. "I see. Well, I guess it was because I wasn't happy. I had everything I wanted and wasn't happy. So I guess it really wasn't what I wanted after all. So I threw it all away and moved back here. A part of me has always sort felt that this is where I belong, here in Albuquerque. This is only place I've ever truly feel at home, the only place I've ever been happy. So I came back. For the sun, the warm temperatures, wide skies, starry nights...." Feeling brave she added, "and you."

She stole a glance at Troy who seemed to be in shock, but not in a bad way. Encouraged, she continued. "I missed you. I tried to convince myself that I just needed a change of pace, that this was only temporary, and that a walk down memory lane was all I needed. But that day I met Ryan and saw you again, my lies became incredibly transparent. By the time I saw you again, I knew that the real reason I'd come back was to see if I could find you. I was hoping that you'd still be here, I didn't think you would be, but there you were. It was like I'd never left, like nothing had changed. Even though EVERYTHING'S changed."

Gabriella waited for Troy to respond but he didn't. She turned to see him staring at the doors, deep in thought. "I can wait," she thought. "I've been waiting a long time already. What's a few more seconds. No big deal." But her heart was pounding against her rib cage. What if he didn't feel the same? Was that possible? No.... she didn't think so, but the What If's always got to her. Her heart was beating so hard she could hear it in her ears. But wait... it couldn't be that loud could it? Then the real source of the pounding registered.

"Someone's out there!" she screamed jumping up. "HEY!!! HELLLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? HELP!!!"

"Hello?" a voice on the outside yelled back.

"Yes!" Gabriella cried in relief. "We're stuck! HELP!" she yelled back.

"Oh shit," the man cursed. "Bob! There are people trapped inside! Is anyone hurt? Are you ok?" he yelled back.

"We're fine! Just get us out. PLEASE!!!" Gabriella shouted.

"Hold on, we'll have you out in a few minutes." True to their work, maintenance had the doors opened several minutes later and Gabriella practically ran out.

"Thank you so much. I'm taking that as a sign to get more exercise and I'll be using the stairs from now on!" After assuring several workers that she was okay, she was home free. She turned to talk to Troy only to see that he wasn't beside her. "Troy?" Someone cleared their throat and she turned to see him leaning against the wall. Gabriella slowly walked towards him and tried to read his eyes. But they were unreadable. Her spirits fell slightly. "I was going to ask if you wanted to finish our talk but it's been a long day and I understand that you probably want to go home. So I'm just going to go...." she said slowly backing down the hall. He followed without a word.

Not a sound passed from his lips as they walked towards her apartment. He stared at the floor as she unlocked the door. He didn't thank her when she held the door open for him. He stood by the wall and stared into space as she closed the door behind them. He didn't respond when she asked if he wanted anything to eat or drink. He didn't move from his spot next to the door until she'd settled herself on the couch. Then he quickly walked over to her and placed one hand on the arm of the couch and the other on the back. Leaning down he whispered, "Not everything changes," and kissed her.


End file.
